Stop Bugging Me
by gleetard16
Summary: Emma has bugged Regina's office in hopes of getting some dirt on her but she overhears a conversation she wasn't meant to hear.
1. Chapter 1

**Stop Bugging Me**

**Spoilers up to 1x11. **

**Taken on from a prompt on Tumblr, Emma listens to the bug she planted in Regina's office in episode 11 and hears more than she bargained for.**

A loud roll of thunder woke Mary Margaret with a jump. She groaned and turned over silently praying that they had already seen the worst of the storm. She looked at her alarm clock. The green digital numbers read "3.15"

"Give me something!"

Snow jumped up._ "Did Emma have someone over?" _She felt a feeling of unease wash over her. She heard no other voices, no talking, actually no movement whatsoever in the loft. She stepped out of bed gingerly, careful not to make a sound. She began to wonder _"Was it wrong to investigate the situation?" _She stalled by her bed_ "Surely not" _

She made her way to Emma's room and cleared her throat and whispered "Emma?"

She got no answer. She peeked into the room and found Emma sitting in the middle of her bed, her legs crossed under her on her. She was still in her jeans with earphones in her ears and a laptop on her lap.

Mary Margaret stared at her with her arms crossed, Emma looked up with a confused look, her brow scrunched "Hi..."

"Why are you up?" Mary Margaret rubbed her eyes trying to keep them from closing.

"Ever since Regina bested me with the playground debacle, I need a way to bring her down and these recordings may be the answer."

Mary Margaret frowned "Recordings?"

"Oh I bugged the Mayor's office...don't give me that look! She is up to something dodgy and I will find out what."

"Regina is not someone to mess with. She is powerful Emma."

"I can take whatever she doles out" Mary Margaret sighed and looked at the blonde.

"Why do you obsess over her?" Emma shot her eyebrows up.

"I do not...obsess over her. She is raising my kid, I just want to make sure she is not up to something."

The brunette smiled softly and sat down on her roommate's bed. "Find anything yet?"

Emma frowned and rolled her eyes slowly "I know how Regina likes her coffee and that being a mayor is a lot of boring paper work but the rest is just the noise of her moving around."

Mary Margaret shut the laptop "Get some sleep. You can listen to it tomorrow."

Emma opened up her laptop again in an annoyed huff "I can't, it is a daily feed, if I don't listen to today's one then I have that and tomorrow's one to listen to. I am almost done."

The brunette turned around and went back to bed calling out "Don't sleep in your jeans, it is bad for circulation."

Emma rolled her eyes and called back "You are not my mom!"

She listened to the end of the recording only to find nothing of use. She grumbled and soon fell asleep.

The next night Emma was growing weary. 5 hours of footage of Regina's 9 to 5 work routine and all she heard was the odd cough or rustling of paper.

She was about to give up on the whole thing when she heard a door close on the recording.

"Hi Regina"

Emma couldn't quite place the voice of the woman on the other end. But she heard footsteps approach the desk.

"Hi" Regina sounded tired.

"Are you okay? Is it Henry?"

_"Was that Katherine?" _

"No, just...a lot of paper work."

"Oh please, you can't pull that on me, I can tell when something is wrong"

Emma heard a sigh and a chair move. From the footsteps she guessed they had moved to the couch in the office. Their voices became less clear. Emma highed the volume and listened.

"So what is bothering you?"

"Remember what we um, what we talked about last week?"

Emma heard a soft laugh and then a "yes", it was definetly Katherine.

"Well I did what you said, I tried being nicer but it just turned out with them hating me more."

The Sheriff highered the volume and pressed the earphones closer to her ears, finally she may have something on the Mayor.

"What happened?"

"She tried to expose me for the funds I used on the playground and then I just got really angry and I may have banned her from seeing Henry"

Emma sat up at the mention of what Regina did to her. _"Was she feeling remorse? Does this mean I may see Henry again?"_

Katherine's loud laughter snapped Emma out of her thoughts.

"Will you stop? This is not funny!"

"Oh come on, Regina, you banned the woman you love from seeing her son, your son, it is kinda funny"

Emma stared at her laptop with wide eyes and frantically rewound the recording, sure that she had misheard the mayor's friend. She highered the volume again and replayed.

"Not funny...Oh come on Regina, you banned the woman you love from seeing her son-...Gina, you banned the woman you love from-...woman you love fr-...you love"

Emma replayed it over and over but each time she heard the same words.

"The woman you love"

"What the hell!" Emma said out loud forgetting the time. She heard her roommate move around upstairs.

"Emma! What is going on?"

"Sorry, I saw a spider..." Emma said loud enough for the other woman to hear. She heard Mary Margaret grumble something, she could not tell what but she heard her get back into bed.

The recording was rewound again. Emma ran her hands through her hair. _'Regina likes...loves me...' _She laughed to herself. It had to be a joke. There was no way the Mayor had feelings for her. It was too bizarre. The longer she let it sit in the more absurd it sounded but those glances, those looks, their heated talks, that draw that was there. The absurdity seemed to slowly ebb away.

Emma put back on her headphones, unsure if she should listen to it anymore but her curiousity got the better of her.

It was silent for a moment after Katherine. She heard Regina's voice low with a sound of reasoning but it was cracked so different from the stoic voice she usually heard.

"I...She makes me...She manages to..."

"Push your buttons?" Katherine offered.

"Exactly!" A sigh could be heard clearly. The smile on Emma's face turned to a grin though she was unsure if she even returned any feelings of such to Regina.

"But is that not what you want?...Sheriff Swan pushing your buttons." Emma could hear the playfulness in that question and blushed harder at the suggestion.

"Are you blushing?" Emma jumped and looked around her room. She realised it was from the recording

"Is Regina Mills blushing?" Emma smiled again beside herself.

_'I bet Regina blushing is cute' _Emma frowned at the thought that popped up in her mind.

A barely audible "Shut up" that was definetly the Mayor's voice could be picked up under the sound of Katherine making an "Awh" sound.

"Sorry...okay plan time, you need to find a way to talk to her without her guards up"

Regina scoffed. "That'll be easy." Emma rolled her eyes at the Mayor even though there was now way Regina could see her.

"Coming from you? Really? Really?" Katherine's voice seemed to have cut Regina down.

"Fine, how do I do that?" Slight desperation mixed with determination could be heard.

"Maybe let her see her son again, that could work."

"I suppose I could do that" Emma smiled widely. She missed that kid though she would never admit it out loud, she loved being a mom to him.

"And maybe you know, lighten up around her."

"I guess." The voice sounded forced, through gritted teeth.

"C'mon lets get lunch, my treat, we can talk about it more there." Emma listened as a door opened and closed and then nothing.

She sat in the dark, not knowing how to process the news. She tried to think back to all she and Regina had gone through.

The Mayor sure was welcoming when she arrived in Storybrooke, she had originally thought they could have been friends, but then Regina thought she was staying to steal Henry.

Emma smiled thinking of her son. He was more like Regina's son. He had her cunning, even thinking of how he had found her. Stealing a teacher's credit card. Emma rolled her eyes _"That is something Regina would be capable of" _

Emma had to admit that she had felt a physical attraction to other woman, the second she saw her in her garden worried over her son. She was in awe of her when Regina spoke to her that she lost her armour for a second and felt like a schoolgirl. Emma had never seen anyone that beautiful.

She also had to admit that when she had caught Graham sneaking out of Regina's house that she felt a lump in her throat. She didn't know how to explain it. But she felt a pain in her heart. And when Graham died, she felt horrible for thinking it but things were better.

She liked to believe that was because she had a purpose, a job but maybe it was because she got to see the Mayor more than any other job could offer.

Emma sighed in frustration. It was 5am, she needed to shut off her brain. One thought kept appearing in her mind, she had to see Regina.

**Let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for your reviews. Hope you enjoy**

Emma was sitting in a booth at Grannies nursing her hot chocolate with cinnamon. She probably should have made her way to the station by now but she couldn't process that thought. She was running on two hours sleep and the knowledge that the woman she assumed was her rival is in love with her.

_'Love' _Emma scoffed at the thought and shook her head. Ruby came by and took away Emma's plate. "You okay Em?" Ruby gave her a concerned smile. The blonde looked up "Yeah just missed some sleep last night."

Ruby smirked "Mary Margaret throwing some wild parties?" The idea made Emma crack a smile. Ruby grinned. _'No, just the though of your great mayor being in love with me makes a girl's head unable to turn off'._ "No, just the...storms, not use to them." Ruby gave an understanding nod.

"RUBY! Table nine needs serving!" Granny called from the kitchen, the brunette practically growled and gave a small "See you Em" to Emma and then yelled towards the kitchen. "I am going to table nine now!"

She droned out the diner and thought about the recording again. _'If I was to be with any women in Storybrooke, Regina would be top of that list, but she is Regina! She does have an evil streak and she could have found the bug and Oh! She would so do that! She would set the whole thing up to make me look like a fool...but would Katherine play along? And it sounded sincere. Oh god, I want it to be true.'_

Emma was lost in her thoughts only to be shaken from them when Ashley came in with her baby in her arms and gave a small wave to Emma "Hi Sheriff". Emma jumped and waved back and watched as she made her way over to Granny.

_'Crap, I should make my way to the station'_

She was just about to get up when the very woman she was thinking of came into the diner with her son in toe. Henry ran over to sit across from Emma. He smiled sheepishly at her.

Emma looked up at Regina and could see the Mayor look her up and down. Her eyes moving over the parts of Emma's body she could see. Her eyes looking hungry.

The Sheriff blushed even though every part of her brain was telling her to act cool.

Regina gave a quick soft friendly smile. "I realised I may have been..." she looked up and gulped "I may have been harsh about not seeing Henry." Regina looked up to the ceiling, avoiding Emma's eyes. "You two should spend time together...But" Regina looked down into green eyes. "Only if I supervise...those are my terms Miss Swan."

Emma smirked she could see through the Mayor's plan. _'She is so transparent'_

Regina smiled back _'She has no idea' _

"Yeah sure, that sounds good."

Henry smile grew and it made both women smile back.

Ruby, Ashley and Granny watched from afar. "Is hell freezing over or do they look like they are having a civil conversation?" Granny asked and started chopping tomatoes as she watched the pair. Ruby smiled wistfully "I hope so."

"Mom, can Emma come by after school?" Henry asked excited at the prospect at spending time with his birth mom but also wanted to work on Operation Cobra.

Regina grinned at him "If Sheriff Swan can find time to come over, she is...welcome" _'I hope she can'_

"Wow why the sudden turn around Madam Mayor?" Emma smirked as she watched Regina's brain tick.

"Well..._my_ son seemed to miss you"

"Is that all?" Emma raised her eyebrows and she watched as Regina gulped. _'Why is she looking at me like that?'_

"Yes, we are having a roast tonight would you like to join us?" Henry beamed at Emma and his mom getting along.

"I would love that" Regina smiled at the response _'This is going well' _

"Good, you can come by at 5pm...sharp"

Emma sighed _'I wonder how she would react if I...' _She reached over the table and took Regina's hand and squeezed it lightly. Regina stared down at her hand with wide eyes. Emma gave her a kind smile.

"Thanks..."

The Mayor kept moving her eyes from her hand to Emma's eyes with a genuine smile on her face. She heard a whisper in the background and looked up to see Granny, Ashley and Ruby looking in her direction and she dropped Emma's hand like it was poison and bit the insides of her cheeks to bring her smile to a stoic frown.

Regina cleared her throat and looked at her watch and spoke to Henry "We better get you off to school"

Henry groaned and shuffled out of the booth seat. "Bye Emma."

"See you later kid...bye Madam mayor."

Regina turned and left without another word ushering her son out of the diner. The second the cold winter air hit her face she let out a sigh of relief. She was proud, she had kept her cool and not said a bad word to Miss Swan. Henry hugged her side and she looked at him in shock. He rarely hugged her anymore. "What was that for?"

"For letting Emma come over," She smiled and started to tear up ever so slightly.

Inside the diner Emma sat stunned for a minute or two.

Granny handed an order to Ruby "That was weird, right?"

Both Ashley and Ruby answered "Yes,"

**Let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all the feedback. I wasn't sure if anyone would even like it.**

**Chapter 3**

"That is the fifth top you have tried on" Mary Margaret stood in Emma's doorway watching as the blonde looked in the mirror and shook her head. Emma started unbuttoning her blue shirt and threw it on the bed with eight other shirts and went back to her closet to search for another shirt. "It is my ninth actually."

Mary Margaret walked into the room and sat on her roommate's bed and started folding the crumpled up shirts on the bed beside her. "Who are you trying to impress?"

Emma stiffened "I am not trying to impress anyone...I just need a top that says "I am a responsible woman but not this is a work thing type top."

Mary Margaret grinned "And this is not to impress someone?...is it Archie?"

Emma stuck her head out of the closet just to stare at the other woman with narrow eyes. "No"

"What Archie would make a lovely boyfriend." She protested feeling the need to defend her friend.

"Then why don't you date him?"

Mary Margaret scrunched her face.

"Exactly" Emma came out wearing a white button down shirt with jeans. _'This shirt looks good right?'_ She looked in the mirror before turning to her roommate needing a second opinion.

"What does this top say?" She looked down at the shirt. The shirt was revealing without being too revealing. It fit her body perfect.

"It's nice" Mary Margaret smiled kindly and added a slight nod of approval.

"Nice like I wanna bang you or nice like you look like a grandmother?"

"Somewhere in between..." Mary Margaret's eyebrows knitted together.

"It will do" Emma went to do her hair and began to put sections of her hair in a curling iron and applying balm to her lips. Mary Margaret watched her curiously.

On the other side of town, Regina and Katherine were deciding on the best outfit too. "Go with this black dress and this blazer." Katherine laid the clothes out on Regina's queen bed.

"You don't think this is too much of a step" Regina said hesitating.

"No, you need to do this. Are you making her your roast with the apple sauce?" Regina nodded.

"Yes, it is in and all"

"Good, you need heels to show off your legs." Katherine went into the walk in closet and started looking for appropriate footwear.

"You don't think that would be weird, wearing heels while cooking." Regina frowned.

"Oh shush, you are trying to impress her. Heels are a must."

"You are right."

Back in the loft, Mary Margaret was watching her roommate curiously.

_'I have never seen her get this worked up over what to wear. Granted I don't know her long but this is so for a guy.'_

"So who is it?"

Emma rolled her eyes knowing her roommate would keep asking until she found out. "Regina...and Henry, we are having a dinner all of us." Emma said flippantly. Mary Margaret stared at her with wide eyes as she took the information in.

"Oh so you and Regina...are having dinner together?"

"And Henry. It is a truce type thing..."

"Uh huh, yeah, no, a truce dinner..." Mary Margaret gave her a knowing look. "You don't...do you like Regina?"

"What?! No" _'Then why is your heart pounding so much in anticipation of spending time with her. Ugh shut up!' _Emma finished her hair and was pulling on her boots.

"You know it is okay if you did, well not Regina per say, but you know if you were into...in fact Ruby has a bet with Ashley that you are-"

Emma turned to face the other woman and gave her a slight furious glare. "That I am what?"

"Well you know..." Mary Margaret gestured her hands side to side not knowing how to phrase it correctly.

Emma knew what her roommate was asking but a part of her told herself that she might drop it if she played dumb. "I have no idea what you are talking about"

"Well with your jackets and the way you walk and your dislike of _all_ the men in this town, Ruby bet Ashley that you are well...uh, playing for the other team"

Emma felt panic course through her body, she turned away from her friend and then shame for feeling so panicked but she had to ask. She took a deep breathe trying to compose herself.

"Would it bother you if I was?" Emma didn't turn to see Mary Margaret's face but if she had she would have seen a soft warm smile towards her.

"No"

"Good." Emma turned and grabbed her red leather jacket off of the bed and walked towards the door. Mary Margaret was worried she had pushed the issue. _'I should have kept quiet'_

"Where are you going?"

"I told you. Dinner with Henry and Regina. See you tonight." Emma gave a quick smile to show that she wasn't angry at her and with that she grabbed her keys and was gone out the door.

Emma got in her Volkswagen and drove up the hill to Mifflin Street. The Mayor's house loomed over the other houses on the street. Emma gulped and parked her car and made her way to the house.

She dug her hands into her jean pockets as she walked down the path to the front door. _'It is just dinner'. _She rang the bell and waited.

Regina looked at the clock on the microwave. _'She is early, dammit' _Regina took off her apron and slipped on her heels and headed to the door. She fixed her hair in the mirror quickly before she opened the door. She tilted her head smiling and greeted sweetly. "Sheriff Swan". Emma took a second to take in her outfit. The black dress clung to Regina's body, showing off her curves. The blazer made it look regal and the heels made Emma look at the toned calves.

_'Is she looking at my dress? Did I spill something on it?' _Regina looked down to make sure after she was sure there was no stains she relaxed.

"Hi Madam Mayor" Emma waited for Regina to invite her in. She gestured for Emma to go ahead. Emma walked into the foyer and up the steps. Regina stayed behind watching Emma's ass as she walked up the steps. _'She has such a nice ass' _Emma swayed on the spot.

"Oh, Henry is doing homework at the moment so just make yourself comfortable."

Emma looked around the large space, her thumbs in her pockets. She didn't know which room to go to and she started to feel uncomfortable as she helplessly looked around the foyer area. Regina watched her, smiling. _'She is so cute.' _

"You can sit in the study if you'd like? I have to...to finish the dinner." Regina offered. Emma nodded and walked towards the room.

_'What was that?! I acted like a moron. The study is one of the doors by the stairs...but which, ah found it'_

She sighed and sank in the same cream couch she sat on the first night she met Regina. The fire was roaring in the fireplace behind her making her heat up. Her leather coat was becoming heavy on her. She took it off and placed it on the arm of the sofa.

Emma kept fidgeting unable to keep still. She stood up and moved around the room. She began looking at the mayor's extensive book collection. She moved one back to see if a secret passageway would open up. Nothing happened.

Regina made the finishing touches to the dinner and set the table. She placed Emma to her right and Henry to her left. She proudly looked at how nice the table setting looked before making her way upstairs. She knocked on her son's bedroom door.

"Henry, dinner is ready." He grumbled and got up and headed downstairs. The Mayor made her way towards the study. She checked herself in the mirror one more time before sneaking in the door.

She appeared behind Emma, she tilted her head and admired the shirt on the Sheriff who unaware of her presense was pulling books back and then pushing them back. She moved closer to the Sheriff. "What are you doing?"

Emma jumped "Crap! I was...looking at your books..."

"Dinner is ready, Henry is waiting in the dining room." She walked away to take her seat at the top of the table.

Emma followed her "Emma! You made it!" Henry jumped out from his seat and gave her a side hug. Regina watched and felt a tightness in her chest and a lump in her throat. Though she had indeed falling for Miss Swan knowing her son loved her more than her was hard to witness.

"Um, you should take a seat. Wouldn't want dinner to get cold." She cleared her throat.

The others sat down and started to eat. Emma let out a low moan as she took a bite. She blushed darkly and Regina took a sharp inhale and gulped.

_'Did she just moan? Breathe Regina.'_

_'She can cook, add to a tick in the pros column for Mayor Mills'_

"You-you made this?" Emma asked as she gestered down at her plate.

"Yes, I even made the sauce myself." Regina smiled proudly. _'She likes it, yes!'_

"It has apples in it" Henry raised an eyebrow and she knew he was making a point about Operation Cobra. Emma shot him a look and he looked down feeling bad.

"Well it tastes really good." Emma ate it slowly, savoring every bite. Regina watched her. "I am glad you like it."

Regina kept watching her, forgeting she had food before her as she hungerly moved her eyes over Emma's appearance, the way her hair fell and how she did indeed have her annoying mother's chin, and her "charming" father's jawline, how her forehead wrinkled ever so slightly as she was thinking something of her own. Regina wondered what she was thinking.

_'Why is she staring at me like that? I know she likes me, but she has been looking for 5 minutes now...'_

Henry frowned, something was off. He excused himself saying he had to use the bathroom. He was gone barely a minute when Emma's phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and looked back at Regina.

"I will take this in the other room."

She nodded and let Emma leave and move to the kitchen.

Henry was waiting in the kitchen for her. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow in a look of annoyance "Kid, why did you call me?"

"I think my mom put something in the roast." He whispered dramatically. Her eyebrows furrowed and she frowned slightly.

"Like a potion?" She said skeptically getting tired of the fairytale thing.

"Yes, you are acting like you are under a spell."

"I am not!" Emma brought her voice to a whisper "I am not under your mother's spell" She cleared her throat. "And you need to stop with the evil stuff."

He rolled his eyes "She is the evil queen, she gave Mary Margaret a poisoness apple."

Regina had made her way to the kitchen to clear her plate and stopped in her tracks as she heard what Henry was talking about. She moved out of sight and listened in on how her son felt about her.

Emma knelt down to be at eye level with him."Look kid, your mom is not evil, you have to stop with calling her that." Regina smiled softly as she heard Emma defend her.

Henry looked at her like she was crazy. "But she is the evil queen." Emma sighed and decided to broach the topic differently.

"Well people are different under the curse right. You don't think she could change?" _'She doesn't think I am evil...and she isn't turning him against me.' _The notion made her tear up.

"Perhaps."

"Okay good. Now that we have that cleared up, lets go back to dinner."

Regina moved back to the dining room and placed her plate back in front of her. She stood up as they came back in "I have an apple crumble in the oven." She moved to the kitchen again and wiped her tears away.

She returned with an apple crumble on a plate. "Would you like some Miss Swan?". Emma smiled "Yes...uh, please." Regina moved behind her to take in her plate. Emma inhaled her perfume and sighed. _'She smells really good. I wonder what perfume that is.' _Regina filled the smaller plate and smiled "Enjoy".

Henry eyed the two of them, something was definetly up. Emma ate her dessert and bit back her moan this time.

She was about to tell Regina how good it was when her phone went off for the second time that night. It was from a number she didn't know. After excusing herself she took the call."Sheriff Swan we need you, Mr Gold has beaten up a man. We have him detained out by his house but need you to come take him in."

Emma groaned. "I will be right there." She hung up. "Regina, Henry, I am really sorry, there is an emergency at work."

"That's okay, Miss Swan, it was...nice to have you over."

"Would I be able to have your apple crumble to go?" Regina's heart melted at the shy lopsidded smile that was thrown her way.

"You really like it?" She asked in such an innocent voice it threw Emma for a minute. She grinned widely.

"Best apple crumble I've ever had."

"That's very sweet, give me one minute, dear." Emma had only heard that pet name when Regina was trying to one up her but knowing what she knew it made butterflies in her stomach flutter.

Regina went and found a tuberware container and filled it with her crumble and moved over towards Emma. She stood a foot from her and handed the container, Emma took it slowly and grazed her fingers off of the mayor's.

They stayed in close proximty. _'Her eyes are so beautiful' 'I wonder how she got that lip scar, don't look at her lips...but they are nice lips.'_ Just looking at each other for what felt like minutes before Emma smiled and looked down feeling deja vu. "I should...I should go, emergency and all, thanks for tonight."

"It was my pleasure." Regina's voice was low. Emma gulped. She needed to leave.

"See you kid."

"Bye Emma" Henry along with his mother pouted as they watched her leave.

Regina shut the door and sighed.

Emma ran out the door and drove towards Mr. Gold's house, replaying what had just occured.

"What the hell was that?!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Regina sat in her kitchen sipping her coffee slowly as she recounted the night before in her head. The way the Sheriff looked, the soft smiles, the moans, the moment when she left. She smiled to herself getting lost in her thoughts.

"Mom! Have you seen my bookbag?!" Henry yelled from his room. Regina moved from the kitchen and grumbled "Good morning mom" sarcastically to herself as she walked to the stairs. "Check your room, I will check down here!" She shouted back at him.

She checked the living room, no bookbag. She made her way to the study and found something unexpected. Emma's red leather jacket lay over the arm of her creme sofa. Regina picked it up and brought it to her nose. _'Mmm, it smells just like her' _She closed her eyes as that Emma smell washed over her. It was comforting and alluring all the same time. She inhaled slowly.

"Mom, did you find my...what are you doing?"

Regina dropped the coat and gulped as her son looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Um, nothing. Nothing." She bit the corner of her lip trying to stop herself from reacting embarrassed that her son walked in on her sniffing Miss Swan's coat.

"Is that Emma's jacket?" Henry asked noticing his biological mother's signature jacket. Regina picked it up and put it over her arm.

"Oh is that whose this is. I was wondering...I should give it back to her." Regina said playing dumb. She smiled to herself. _'I have an excuse to see her, besides she must miss her jacket.'_

"Okay...so did you find my bookbag?" Henry gave her a hopeful look.

"No sorry sweetheart." She gave him a lopsided smile.

"Ugh!" He stomped off to the kitchen to search there. _'That was close.' _Regina sighed.

She had all intentions of catching Emma at Grannies in the morning to return the jacket but Henry took his time as he frantically searched for his school bag. After eventually finding it they only got him into school on time. Regina knew that by that time Emma would be in work. Regina made her way to work.

Emma sat by her desk at the station. She was filling out paper work on last night's arrest. Mr. Gold had posted his own bail that morning when she came in and she had some stuff to fill out.

Marco came by around 10am to hand over his notes for the previous night he had filled in. Emma had taken a break and was eating left over crumble.

"Hi Sheriff. Here's the reports...late breakfast or early lunch?"

"Late breakfast, it is really good."

"Looks it, is it hand made?" Marco smiled at her.

"I think so...Regina made it" Emma said flippantly as she took another bite.

"Regina made you apple crumble?" He looked at her like she had 5 heads.

"Yes..." She went back to eating it.

"Oh...I saw Katherine on my way here she was going to see her...anyway I should go, I shouldn't leave Pongo out there long." Marco tipped his hat and left.

He was barely gone a second when Emma turned on her laptop and was in the process of opening up a live feed to the bug in the Mayor's office.

"-om the beginning." Katherine's voice came across. Emma smiled "Yes!" She hadn't missed much. She put headphones on her head as she heard Regina's voice in her ears.

"She showed up and looked...so good." Emma blushed darkly as she heard a voice from Regina she had heard before but only when they were in a passionate arguement.

"Did she check your legs out?"

"I saw her look me up and down when I answered the door but that could be her suspicious nature."

"Or that she was checking you out. You are gorgeous."

There was silence down the other end.

Emma heard someone click their tongue and then take a deep breathe. "Did she um, like the roast?" She heard a small laugh escape Regina's mouth. "She took a bite and moaned."

"I knew that would work! The best way to someones heart is through their stomach...so this moan a noise you wanna hear a lot?"

Another silence but this one shorter than the last

"Regina? Did I lose you there?" Katherine's voice was playful and Emma could hear her clicking her fingers.

"Huh?"

"You are practically drooling. So anyway what else happened?"

"She talked to Henry about treating me better, I wasn't meant to hear it but it was...she isn't trying to steal him away...she is trying to bring us closer." Regina sounded happy. Happier than Emma had ever heard her. She had no idea Regina was listening in. But she was begining to understand the tension between them was twofold.

"That is amazing Regina. Was that it?"

"Well she got called out to an arrest as dessert was served but she looked genuinely upset to leave." There was a hopeful tone to her voice. _'I didn't want to leave so early. And that moment between us, was weird, it reminded me of when Henry was trapped in the mines. When she looked so vulenrable and walked towards me.'_

"Okay this is good, lay in the ground work."

"She also left her coat in my house...I was thinking of dropping by the diner today at lunch, she usually has hers there and bump into her." _'Oh that's where my coat is!'_

"Good plan. You need to open a button...or two though if you are gonna see her. Show of the girls. If she is gay she won't be able to resist, like Ruby."

Emma stared at the screen with wide eyes. _'Ruby?! Did they sleep together? Or date?'_

"Is that not mentioning it." Regina sounded deadly serious and Emma could hear the playfulness leave the mayor's office in that moment. _'Okay something definetly happened between her and Ruby but what...'_

"Sorry...sorry, okay so what time does she go to the diner at; Emma?"

"Around noon...usually."

"Do you want me to come along, for moral support?"

"No, go have a lunch date with David."

"Speaking of...you don't...uh, do you think that Mary Margaret is stealing him away?"

"I wouldn't put it past her, she has always had that butter wouldn't melt innocent thing but it is so transparent; I'd keep an eye on her."

Emma felt a flush of anger wash over her beside herself. Her best friend was insulted, granted Regina was trying to warn her friend of a true obstacle to her married life. She tried to let it roll off her back but found it hard.

"I am being silly, I should go though...but before I do...now she will find it harder to resist." Emma could hear a huff on annoyance and then the click clack of heels walk further away from the desk and the door creak open.

"Don't keep your husband waiting."

"Don't keep Emma waiting."

"Go. I have to work to do."

"Good luck!"

Emma heard Regina laugh softly and she listened for a half an hour more but she heard nothing. She decided to finish up her paper work as quick as she could so she could be at the diner before noon.

She made it out and took a seat by the window and waited for the Mayor to drop by.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Emma ordered a hot chocolate as she waited for Regina to show up. She kept fidgeting in antipation and kept looking at the clock.

Ruby took her order and walked by to her grandmother.

"Is it just me or is she acting weird lately?"

"Not just you, I overheard Miss Blanchard and David talking, they were talking about the same thing." Granny chopped up the vegetables for her salads as she spoke.

"Strange." Ruby sipped a root beer as she watched the Sheriff. "Can you work?" Granny said impatiently. Ruby rolled her eyes and went to ask people if they were ready to order.

Emma with her back to the window could not see Regina across the street in her car mentally preparing herself.

She checked her make up in the rear view mirror. It looked flawless like always. She took a deep breathe and closed her eyes. And then laughed at how she was acting. _'I am the Queen, I ruled a kingdom, I had people drop to their knees when they saw me approaching, how does she make me like this. Especially when her grandfather...' _

Regina shook her head. _'No I can't think of that. To think she is related to him. It is wrong, I can't do this. But she is so...What is wrong with me? Haven't I learned that that family do nothing but cause me pain. Emma is different though. I can feel it...but I thought that about little Snow and she got Daniel killed...that was Mother. No! I cannot think about this again.'_

Regina squeezed her eyes closed and forced herself to block the memory out of her head. _'Storybrooke is my second chance. I can start over with that family. She is more than worth it.'_

She composed herself and took the red leather jacket off the passenger seat and made her way towards the diner.

Archie who had seen the Mayor parked outside his office was mentally preparing himself for some kind of meeting with the woman about her son's meetings. He was completely baffled when he watched her sit in the car for over 15 minutes. And then get up and walk towards the diner with Emma's jacket in her hand.

"Marco, has the Mayor been acting peculiar lately?" He scratched his head.

"Kind of, Emma did say she made her apple crumble...doesn't sound like her."

"She just had Emma's jacket."

Marco and Archie frowned but neither thought on it for long as Pongo ran past them and knocked over a lamp making it crash to the floor and smash to pieces. "Pongo! Sit!" The dalmation went to his dog bed and curled up as both men went to pick up the broken glass.

Regina made her way into the diner. The bell over the door chiming made Emma look up. She sat up and waited for the Mayor to walk over to her.

Regina practicaly strutted over. Her top buttons opened revealing her clevage perfectly. Emma stared for a second and with all her willpower she looked up.

"Miss Swan. Mind if I sit?"

Emma saw that glint in her eye and shrugged her shoulders and nodded.

"Thank you," Regina sat down before she could say anything Ruby came past with Emma's drink. "Hello Madame Mayor. Would you like a drink?"

"No, thank you, I am not staying long" She barely looked at the younger woman. "You should stay, you can have a comped meal. After how you got Mr. Gold off Grannies' back about the late rent, it is the least we can do. Do you want the usual? And Emma, a grilled cheese right?" They both nodded and Ruby walked back to the kitchen.

_'I am gonna kill her.'_

_'Okay something is definetly up with those two'_

_'Emma Swan Mills has a ring to it...now to get a free meal off of Granny. Maybe I can sneak it past her.'_

Regina's cheeks blushed a slight shade darker and took off her coat and put it on the back of her chair. "I guess we are having lunch together...I hope you don't mind."

"What, of course not. Although shame it is not your cooking." Emma gave Regina a smirk that made the mayor blush even more.

_'Katherine was so right. I need to cook for her more.'_

"Did you like it? I wasn't too sure." Regina lied with her usual poker face.

_'You were so sure. Liar.' _Emma thought back to the recording and blushed a light shade of pink when she remembered what Katherine had said about her breasts. _'Don't look down Emma.'_

Emma leaned forward whispering "Don't tell Granny but your food was the best home-cooked food I have ever tasted."

Regina stared into the other woman's eyes and felt her stomach flutter.

_'I can bet you have something delicious for me to taste. Oh I hope no one can read minds right now.'_

"What the hell is that?" Granny was watching them with Ruby. Ruby smirked to herself. "I think they are talking about Henry." Granny gave her a skeptical look.

Emma licked her lips slowly and took that moment when the Mayor was staring into her eyes to look down at her clevage. When her eyes moved back to Regina's they were darker. A bust boy dropped a plate in the back kitchen making both women turn to that direction.

"Oh I almost forgot, the reason I came by...I found your jacket in my study this morning." She slowly handed over the leather coat. "Thank you. I was wondering where I left it." Emma put the jacket over the back of her chair, similar to Regina.

"Was that the only reason you came by?"

"Yes. Well that and it is lunch time."

"Good thing you did. Getting a lunch on the house and all...You stood up to Mr Gold to help out Granny though, any reason?"

"I am not sure if you noticed Miss Swan but Gold and I don't exactly get along. Anything to get one by him is rather enjoyable."

"So it is not because of...your friendship with say, Granny or Ruby."

"I don't have any friendships with anyone in the Lucas family dear."

As if hearing her name Ruby came over with their order. A grilled cheese for Emma and fries and a chicken salad with dressing on the side for Regina along with a coffee. "Enjoy guys."

Archie walked into the diner and Ruby walked him over to the bar and left the women to themselves.

"I don't know how rabbit food like that can fill someone til dinner." Emma pointed at Regina's plate with her fork. Regina smiled internally at the thought of her mother meeting Emma and seeing her deplorable table manners.

"I can assure you Miss Swan, no rabbit's eat chicken or peppers." She said in a superior voice as she ate her salad.

"I mean salad, you only eat that if you are dieting and you don't need to." Regina blushed darkly making Emma smirk.

"While I appreciate the compliment, I actually like salads, do you know you that too many of those kind of sandwiches will clog your arteries."

"You have obviously never enjoyed a grilled cheese." Emma said as she ate more of hers.

"Can't say I have." She made a face wrinkling her nose.

"Have you ever tried them dipped in ketchup." Emma gave her a serious look making Regina use all her willpower to not smile at the cuteness of it.

"That is truly disgusting." Regina grimaced and Emma furrowed her eyebrows and looked at the mayor determined to prove her point,

"No, it isn't" Emma dipped half her grilled cheese into ketchup and looked at the mayor. "Here, try some."

"I would rather not."

"Come on, it won't bite." She gave the other woman puppy dog eyes making Regina roll her eyes and agree.

"Fine." She acted like she didn't want to, to Emma but her heart thumped loudly in her chest.

Emma leaned closer and held the sandwich close to Regina's mouth. She leaned close herself and took a bite.

_'Is she flirting with me? That can't just be my imagination.'_

Emma licked her lips after she practically fed the Mayor. Regina ran the pad of her thumb over her own bottom lip to remove the ketchup from her mouth.

_'That was just meant to be flirtacious on my end but wow why is that so fucking hot? I need those teeth on my neck. Where did that come from? Am I into biting? I am if she is the one biting. Oh my god snap out of it!'_

She nodded as she chewed and waited til her mouth was free to speak. "You were right Miss Swan."

"I didn't hear that?"

"You were...shut up."

Ruby, Granny and Archie sat with their mouths wide open having witnessed it. "Did she just feed her?" Archie blinked in shock over the incident asking more for himself than anyone else. Granny and Ruby just nodded mutely.

The women finished up their meals only stopping to steal glances at one another. When they were done. Regina sighed noticing the time. "I really should head back to work."

"No, I understand. I actually have to aswell." Emma gave her a lopsidded smile. "Oh um, thanks for returning my jacket."

"Your welcome. I'll...see you Miss Swan." Regina left a large tip for Ruby considering the meals were free and made her way to the door. She made her way out the door and let out an exhale. _'Oh god. I feel like such an idiot around her. But she is so...so perfect.'_

Emma was getting up to leave when she noticed a black coat on the back of the chair Regina had been sitting in. She grabbed her jacket and ran out of the diner in hopes of catching Regina.

"Regina, wait up!" _'Breathe Regina, pull it together.'_

The mayor spun on her heels to see the object of her desire move towards her. "You almost left your coat."

Regina smiled softly "Becoming a pattern."

Emma walked closer to her and Regina breathed deeply and she watched Emma with an incredulous look as the Sheriff placed her coat over her shoulders. "It is quite cold out here. You should wrap up." Emma rubbed her shoulder's lightly. Regina swallowed as a lump formed in her throat over the geniune concern Emma gave her.

"Thank you" she barely whispered. _'She is more than perfect.' _Emma smirked at getting Regina flustered.

"No problem. I'll see you around." She rocked on her heels and smiled before walking in the direction of the station. _'I will see you around? That was so stupid.' _She turned to get one more look at the other woman as she walked off.

Regina walked towards her car and whispered to Emma though she was off down the road. "You can count on it."

The two women were on their way back to work and didn't hear their elderly neighboor yell inside the diner's kitchen."Ruby! Did you not charge them! They only gave a tip!"

"Granny they paid beforehand. Look it is here." Ruby took out cash from her apron that she had taken from the register. She handed it to her grandmother and went to serve. _'I hope they get together.'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Emma sat by the kitchen island eating Lucky Charms. She had listened to the recordings last night in hopes that Katherine had stopped by to talk to the mayor about their lunch date but all she heard was the occasional pacing sound of heels clicking off the floor and the door opening and closing.

Mary Margaret was brushing her teeth in the kitchen while frantically grabbing her stuff.

"Hey, you are friends with David, right?" The school teacher stopped in her tracks.

"Huh, what? Yes, I guess you could say...w-why do you ask?"

"His wife Katherine...does he talk about her?"

"Uh, yeah sure...sometimes...kinda." Mary Margaret spit out her toothpaste in the sink and turned on the tap.

"What does she do? With her day?" Emma took another bite of cereal.

"Why, why do you want to know?"

"Curious...why a- you avoidin'?" She asked with her mouth full and watched as her roommate cringed.

"Uh, I know she reads a lot at home and only leaves the house for the odd shift at the Game of Thorns place, oh and she also leaves to shop and see Regina in the mid morning."

"Seem to know more than you let on..." Emma smirked. She knew very well about Mary Margaret's slight obsession with Mr. Nolan.

"Yeah well...I am gonna be late...bye." Mary Margaret grabbed her coat and rushed out the door.

"Bye..."

Emma finished her Lucky Charms and headed to the police station. She started up her laptop the second she arrived and kept an earphone in, in case Katherine showed up. She heard nothing on the other end until around 10am.

"Hello, Dr. Hopper it is Mayor Mills."

Emma sighed softly somehow that voice that she use to get her angry, was managing to make her feel calm now. She listened as Regina made a change to his appointment that night to change to another day, something about needing that time to finish a school project for school. _'I wonder what he is gonna make. Maybe I could help him that would be cool.'_

Emma sat bored in the station. She had just made a cup of tea and sat back down when she heard a door open on the recording. Her heart started beating harder and a smile grew wide on her face. She made a mental note that Katherine deserved a pie or something. _'Maybe chocolates or something.'_

"So Mayor Mills gonna be Mayor Swan Mills?" Emma thought about it _'Regina Swan Mills...Regina Swan. Has a nicer ring to it.'_

"Will you lower your voice!" Her anger and worry could be heard.

"Sorry...sorry. So yesterday, tell me everything." Emma heard Katherine's voice move closer to the desk.

"I dropped by the diner and I gave her back her jacket"

"Good...good, have a reason to see her...sorry continue."

"And I had barely sat down when Ruby came by and insisted I stay for lunch...she even comped our meal Kath. So I couldn't say no."

"That was nice of her considering...you know..." Emma sipped her tea.

"I shouldn't tell you anything." _'Okay what the fuck happened between them?!' _Emma huffed.

"Oh don't get snippy, I just meant it was cool how she is trying to help you too...not sure I would do it if someone I was fucking called out someone else's name during sex."

Tea went everywhere. Emma jumped as she was drowned in her beverage _'She slept with Ru-...Ruby slept with her...oh well..that's uh. Why does this hurt?'_

"Kath, this is not never mentioning it. Ugh." Emma barely heard Regina as her mind was whirling.

"You don't think she would tell her, do you?...As you know a matchmaker thing...You know. 'Hey Emma, Regina wants in your pants, when I was in hers, she screamed your name.' It might make her...endeared." _'She screamed my name when she was...oh well that is um...Wow...so she screams when she is...don't picture her moaning your name. Oh god. I can't be turned on by this. She fucked Ruby...but she called your name...' _Emma crossed her legs as she felt herself getting more turned on the longer she thought of it.

"I did not scream it...I am no longer discussing this, you can go." Regina sounded annoyed.

"Oh come on Regina I was teasing...sorry do go on about the lunch. You had a free lunch and..." Katherine offered.

"Yeah...anyway Miss Swan had a grilled cheese and wanted me to take a bite of it and when I did I swear her whole face went red."

"Girl! She is so into you...okay, what else? Did she check out the girls?" Her voice was suggestive and Emma highered the volume but heard nothing on the other end. She imagined Regina smirking at Katherine because next she heard.

"I knew it! I told you. Okay so what else?"

"I left after my lunch and she ran after me because I forgot my coat and she put it around my shoulders and it was so...chivalrous."

_'Chivalrous...I just didn't want her to get cold. But did I really have to put it on her? She did smell really good when I did.'_

"Who knew Emma was so charming." _'Hey! Rude.'_

"She is very charming. Lacks table manners and the ability to hold her tongue sometimes but she more than makes up for those attributes. And she and Henry get along very well."

_'Lacks table manners? I should look up table ettiquette I suppose...'_

"That's true. You gotta admit his family tree is gonna be a bit messed up, if you two got together." _'I guess maybe what with-'_

Emma heard a roar of laughter that was so loud it made her jump. Regina had a very infectious laugh, it made Emma smile though she had no idea what was so funny.

"Not that funny Regina." Emma had never heard that laugh and frowned at the notion that anyone would stop that sound. _'You lost the chocolates I was gonna get you.'_

"It would be if you were...if you...yeah, no sorry...made myself laugh."

"Okay...so are you gonna meet Miss Swan again today?" Emma listened hopeful.

"I don't want to push it with her." She pouted _'You wouldn't be.'_

"Maybe invite her over to help Henry out with his school project. He is making a society thing right?"

"A town from the future, that kook Miss Blanchard's idea...I guess that would be good, for them to spend time." Emma let the remark about her roommate slide.

"Exactly, especially now you know she isn't trying to steal him away." _'Okay chocolates are coming your way Nolan. And maybe some for Ruby for yesterday and you know the sex with her calling my name.'_

"Call her now, do it please."

"Fine."

_'Crap!' _Emma pulled out the headphones and searched for her cell phone as it rang in her bag. She retrieved it and answered the call.

"Hello Regina." Emma said before the other woman got a chance to talk.

"How did you know it was me?"

_'Crap! Act cool.' _"Your number came up. I have it saved as a contact for Henry."

"Oh um...speaking of. Henry has a school project on a future society. It involves art to which I am not that great at...I was wondering if you wanted to come by and help him. I know he would really like it if you could."

"Would there be more apple crumble if I came by?" Emma said in a flirtacious tone.

"Uhm, sure..." Emma smirked. She liked making Regina flustered that easily.

"Count me in. What time should I drop by?"

"Around 5? Is that good for you?"

"Perfect see you then...Regina."

"Goodbye Miss Swan."

The second she hung up she put the earphone back in her ear.

"What did she say?"

"That she would come by if I made her my apple crumble?" Regina sounded confused.

"Ohhh...she so wants you. Emma and Regina up a tree..."

"Shut up!"

Emma blushed to herself. She could tell the mayor was smiling. Katherine and Regina moved on to talk about David and Emma found herself absentmindly doodling a heart as she listened to the Mayor talk. Her mind wandered to getting to spend time with her son and Regina.

**XxxxXxxxX**

**I hope you liked this chapter. Let me know what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Regina leaned against her car as she waited to pick her son up from school. When he was younger she loved when he would bound towards her and jump into a hug. These days she would be shocked if he even said something to her. He walked up to her silently like any day before. She got into the car and as they drove home she tried to talk to him.

"How was school today?"

"Good..."

"Huh, well I rearranged your meeting with Archie tonight so you can work on your project."

"Whatever."

"I invited Miss Swan over to help you with it...thought she may be better at arts and crafts than well me."

"Thanks mom. You are still gonna help though right?"

"Uh...Of course."

They parked in the garage and Regina took the supplies for his project in to the house while he happily told her about his ideas for his project.

"Mom! What time is Emma showing up?" He asked from the kitchen. "Around 5. You should go finish up any other homework before she comes round."

"Good idea." He grabbed a bottle of water and ran upstairs. She sighed and remembered she promised Miss Swan an apple crumble and she had two hours to make it. She went to her fruit bowl and began chopping apples.

Across town Emma didn't have time to head home after work to get ready. The truth was she would have been too excited to even if she had the time. She went out and bought some wine at the store. She didn't have a mom growing up but Mary Margaret had mentioned to her that you can't show up to someones house empty handed.

She arrived at number 108 and knocked nervously at the door. Regina was fixing her hair in the mirror unaware that Henry had bound down the stairs two at a time to rush to answer the door. "Emma! You came."

"Of course kid wouldn't miss it."

Regina dropped her hands and walked towards the door to greet her guest. She was wearing a dark grey button down shirt and slacks. Emma wondered what she would look like in a tracksuit, haven't ever seen her in casual clothes.

"Oh I got you this?" Emma offered the bottle to Regina. "I don't know what kind you like but the man at the store said it was fruity with a strong body."

"Is that so...oh, thank you dear." Regina gulped and watched as Emma's eyes moved over her body. "Henry, uh, why don't you show Miss Swan where to set up."

He took Emma's hand and led her to the study. The chairs and tables where pushed back and in the middle of the room were lots of cardboard, scissors, tape, many pots of paints, brushes and fuzzy pipe cleaners. "Wow kid, you go all out." Emma walked in and sat on the arm of the chair looking at everything on the floor. Regina kept herself by the door with her arms crossed watching as Henry gave Emma a puzzled look.

"Didn't you ever do arts projects? This isn't all out."

Emma opened her mouth and closed it. Then tried again.

"No, uh..." She closed her eyes momentarily and shook her head. "Well I did have them but I wasn't interested much in school?"

"Why?"

"Well uh, hard to do projects like these when your foster parents won't pay for supplies and you can't hand in something with nothing to make it with." She looked down and Henry gave her a sad smile.

"I need to use the bathroom, be right back kid." She toussled his hair and made her way to the bathroom. On the way Regina touched her bicep in an act of comfort. "I'm sorry." Emma shook her head and whispered "It's not your fault." She walked down the hall and the mayor sighed against the wall trying not to tear up.

_'Even if I have her, I ruined her life. Snow would have doted on her, she would have had everything. I just wanted to get my revenge for Daniel. I never even thought about how this would affect her. That is all my fault.'_

Emma held either side of the sink in the bathroom and had her head down. She needed a breather. Her childhood had always been a touchy subject for her.

In the study Regina ran her shaky hands through her hair and blew air slowly from her lips trying to calm herself. Henry wondered why his mom was acting weird. _'Maybe this is hard for her...being with Emma. I don't want her to be sad.' _

"Mom? Are you okay?" Regina straighened up and pulled a tight smile on her face. "Of course. Uh, so did you sketch out your ideas?"

He took his pages and ran over to her. "That is a skyscraper and these tubes will come out of it like subways but quicker. Oh and this will be a robot factory."

Emma made her way back from the bathroom. And watched the mother and son. She had worried when Henry came to find her that Regina was doing something to harm him but as she watched the other woman dote on her son, she knew that Regina loved her son more than anything on this planet.

"These are very good." Regina wrapped her arm around her son's shoulder. "And what is that?"

"That will be our house." Emma smiled in the doorway. "Where is Emma's house?" Henry looked up and pouted. "I never sketched it. She can live with us...in the future town." He corrected but Emma could see Regina's smile in her reflection in the mirror over the fireplace. "Sounds like a plan."

"How big is this future house? Do I get my own room?" Emma joked suggestively.

"Well yeah." Henry looked at the two of them and shook his head. _'Adults ask stupid questions.'_

"So should we start?" Henry nodded and moved back to the ground. "Okay first we need to make a base. Mom you can make that. Then we need to make the other buildings...Emma can you make that?"

Emma saluted and Henry smirked "I will make the skyscraper."

Regina looked at his sketches and pointed to the logo on the skyscraper. "You are calling it "The Swan Mill"?"

Henry shrugged "Yeah. I thought it was clever."

"To name it after your mom and me?"

"They are, well could be my surnames...so we should start now."

He sat down and began cutting cardboard. The women followed suit. Regina was painting the base and followed Henry's blue prints to know where everything would be going.

Emma watched the other woman work with a paint brush. She had no idea why but she found it fascinating to watch. The movement of her fingers, the look of fierce concentration and that the position she was in was pushing her boobs out. Emma tilted her head and watched as Regina made a small mistake and rubbed the side of her nose with her hand.

Henry turned to his mom when he heard her groan, he was about to worry that something didn't go to plan but he smirked when he saw a streak of green paint on his mom's cheek.

"Mom, you have a bit of paint?"

Regina tried to wipe it off but failed to get it. Emma walked over to her with a cloth and looked at the Mayor. "Can I?" She merely nodded.

Emma moved close and cupped one side of Regina's face. The Mayor's eyes darted nervously to the hand on her jaw. She licked her lips. Emma smirked and dabbed the wet cloth over her face removing the paint.

_'Don't you move,_ _can't you stay were you are for now.'_

_'God, she is so beautiful.'_

"I think the paint is gone now." Henry said slowly. _'What is up with them. I must look in the book for something about the Queen putting spells over people.'_

Emma laughed nervously and sat back down. Regina gulped and stood in the same spot for minutes. _'Her hand is so soft. I need to kiss her.'_

By 7pm, they needed let the paint dry before gluing stuff down and all needed a break.

"You actually made apple crumble?" Emma said taken aback that she actually made her a dessert. She wanted to savour the kind act but also wanting to devour it.

"You said you liked it. Want some now?" Emma nodded with a smile. "It tastes a lot better heated up with some whipped cream on top."

_'I bet you would be better with whipped cream, on top...Oh I did not just think that...okay I may like her in that way.'_

"Here let me put this in the microwave for a bit." Regina smiled nervously and put a large piece of crumble on a plate and into the microwave.

When the microwave pinged Regina placed the dessert in front of Emma. "I hope you enjoy it."

"I do like your apples." Emma blushed a dark red as Regina stared at her with wide eyes. "I meant your apple tree...the honey comb...you were right about them being the most delicious fruit." _'Oh smooth one Emma! You are such a moron.'_

_'She likes apples, that's good. I can use a lot of my receipes.'_

_'They are so weird besides pineapples taste better...Moms.'_

Henry rolled his eyes and ate some apple crumble.

After dessert the three returned to the study to finish the project.

Regina sat on the couch as she rolled piece of tracing paper to make furistic tubes. She yawned and closed her eyes for two minutes. But two minutes became more.

She grumbled in her sleep making Emma smile at how adorable she was but she soon frowned when Regina began tossing and turning. "Kid, does she always do that when she sleeps?" Emma looked at her worried.

"Yeah, all the time."

She sighed and finished up the project. Henry and her admired their work. "Looks great kid, okay bed."

Henry groaned and Emma just stared him down eventually he gave in. "Night." They hugged and he slowly made his way upstairs.

Emma carefully moved Regina to a lying down position. She stroked her hair and covered her in a blanket. "Sleep well Madame Mayor."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8.**

Regina woke up and grumbled. Her body ached and felt stiff. She slowly opened her eyes and jumped when she didn't see her bedroom surrounding her.

_'Where am...oh I am in the study.'_

She relaxed and sat up wondering who had wrapped her in a blanket. In the corner of the room she noticed a mini cardboard city and her mind replayed the events of the previous night. She noticed a piece of paper on the coffee table in the corner. She yawned and walked over to see what it was.

In messy handwriting she saw a note from Emma.

"Madame Mayor, I didn't want to wake you last night, but I didn't want to leave with out saying Goodnight. so here it goes. "Goodnight" nailed it" Regina shook her head at the sillyness but felt her heart thump loudly when she saw the rest of the note. "Love 'Miss Swan'."

She smirked to herself. _'She signed it "Love", if I could leave this town I would run away with her and Henry...I need to make my move tonight. No, I need to be with her. The teasing is too much. I need to know...But what if she rejects me? What if she doesn't?'_

Henry burst into the room. "Mom, you never woke me! We are gonna be late."

Regina who was lost in her thoughts, immediatly snapped back in to focus and told Henry to get changed into his uniform while she ran upstairs to get ready. She put on her silk teal blouse and slacks and brushed her hair. And after helping get his project in the back seat they were on their way to school.

After dropping Henry off at school, Regina decided she needed to make a move today. She went to work and waited anxiously for her friend to arrive so she could go through an idea with her.

She smiled at how much she had grown from the woman she was when her only friend was her horse and a tree.

Emma on the other side of town was listening into the recording device as background noise as she ate a pastry.

Katherine knocked on her office and Regina smiled. "Come in!" Emma put down her pastry as she listened in properly. A part of her knew it was wrong but another part needed to listen.

"So how did yesterday go? Get lucky?"

_'I wish'_

Regina rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately no."

"Okay come on, what happened?"

"She is so perfect and caring. I fell asleep and she wrapped me in a blanket."

"Awh seems she cares for you."

"I need to make my move. Tonight. I need to kiss her, Kath." Emma gulped. _'Tonight she wants to kiss me tonight.'_

"Okay wow, um, any plans?" Katherine sounded as shocked as Emma felt.

"I was hoping you would."

"Oh! You could show up to the Sheriff station in a trenchcoat and nothing else..."

_'YES PLEASE! I mean, I wouldn't mind that. Oh I bet she would look so good when she drops her coat on the floor and walks towards me...Oh my god, calm down._

Emma crossed her legs and listened to hear Regina shoot down the idea.

"And what if Leroy is in a cell?"

_'Fucking Leroy.'_

"Her home?"

"And have the possibility of Miss Blanchard open the door. No..."

_'I could get rid of Mary Margaret for a night or two.'_

"Okay, uh...something romantic...maybe candles and rose petals."

_'That is too girly, I liked the other idea better.'_

"That is not her style."

"What would be her style? Taking you on this desk."

_'Keep it together Emma!'_

"Actually..."

_'Oh fuck.'_

"I was teasing but that could work. Invite her over for a night cap and then have a drink or two and make your move."

_'That would totally work.'_

"And how do I get her over?"

_'Tell her you wanna take her on the desk! Me, tell me.'_

"Just tell ask her if she would like to drop by for a drink tonight."

"Simple as that?"

"Yes. Here...give me your phone."

Emma searched for her cell phone and took it out expecting a call but instead had a message.

"Hi, wanna meet for drinks in my office tonight?"

Emma smirked and texted back. "Cya then, count me in. Emma Xx"

"She added kisses to her text Regina, you will get your kiss tonight...maybe more."

Emma blushed and heard a soft thud followed by Katherine saying "Ow."

"You need some fancy underwear, what do you have on?"

_'Stop picturing her in underwear. STOP PICTURING HER NAKED!'_

"Excuse me?"

"Underwear, what do you have on?"

_'You should tell her Regina.' _Emma squeezed her legs together.

"None of your business." Regina said in a slightly offended tone.

"Now, I am curious. Cotton briefs maybe with a cartoon character on them?" Katherine teased.

"I am wearing black silk."

Emma gulped as the image of the Mayor in black bra and silk panties appeared in her head. _'How did I get this lucky?'_

"And how is...you know down there?"

Emma licked her lips as she listened in.

"What are you asking?"

"Is it...you know...trimmed and ready for visitors..."

"Oh my god, Kath..." Regina sounded disgusted and embarrassed.

"Don't sound so disgusted...is it?"

"Yes." The answer was blunt and to the point.

_'Oh fuck.'_

"Do you wax or shave?"

"I am not discussing this with you."

"Okay, okay...I was gonna ask if you need protection but then that would be stupid. Maybe pick up some lube...just in case."

_'Judging by my body from that conversation she won't need any.'_

"Don't you have a shift to cover at the flower shop?"

"Rude, I am just trying to make sure everything goes okay."

"I'm...I'm sorry."

"Thank you...but now that you mention it I did tell Moe I would be there to take over before noon."

"Go ahead."

"Good luck tonight."

"Thank you."

And with that Katherine left her office. Emma took her radio with her and rushed home to take a shower.

She wore a bra that hooked at the front for easier access and the matching panties. She put on a low cut green top and jeans.

Mary Margaret who had gone home during lunch to pick up a lesson plan she had forget that morning watched her roommate do up her shirt.

"What are you doing here, shouldn't you be in work?"

"Shouldn't you?" She mocked as she looked in the mirror.

"Forgot my lesson plan. You look nice."

Emma tucked her shirt in and looked at her roommate with a vulerable look. "Do you think so?"

Mary Margaret curled her lips up into a smile and moved over to fix her friend's hair. "Yes, honey. I bet whoever you are trying to impress will fall head over heels for you."

"Why do you think I am trying to impress someone?"

"I can tell."

Emma smiled back at her and wanted so much to believe Henry that Mary Margaret is her mom, because if she was she would be so lucky.

"So who is he?"

"Uh, well...uh,"

"It is okay, you can tell me when you are ready."

Emma grinned at her trying to show her gratitude. Saying she was into women out loud had always been hard for her and saying it about Regina was harder because of the history Mary Margaret had with her and well the town.

"See you later Emma, I have to head back. Whoever they are, they will be swooning."

Emma shook her head and headed back to the station.

The day was slowly dragging in.

**...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9.**

Regina waited impatiently for her assistant to leave before making the place more relaxing for Emma. She had arranged for Henry to have dinner with Archie after his session so they would have more time.

She began to get anxious. Usually she would just grab someone and kiss them and they would kiss her back and if it got more physical then so be it. But with Emma it was different. She was the only one who challenged her. Never bowed down to her. It made her revert back to before she was Queen back when she loved a stable boy and he loved her. When she wanted to be with that person and not just for a thrill for one night.

Emma made her way to the Mayor's office feeling more nervous the closer she got. _'She wants a relationship. I know that so what am I doing. I only ever have one night stands. I have no clue how to be a girlfriend to someone. Well I was with Neil and look how that turned out. Regina can't knock me up...upside...she has gotten me arrested though...I need to re-evaluate my taste in people...but she is the most beautiful woman I have ever met...and we do have this passion between us. I do feel a pull towards her.'_

She made her way to the large double doors of the city hall. _'No going back now.' _She made her choice and walked up the stairs to Regina's office.

Regina had glasses of wine poured and waiting on the coffee table by the couch in her office. She heard footsteps approaching and sat down on the black armchair facing the door. She opened a book and tried to act non chalant.

Emma knocked on the door before coming into the office. "Hi Regina." Regina looked up from her book pretending to only be aware of her visitor.

She had to contain herself when she saw Emma's shirt showing off her clevage. _'Oh well hello. Say something to her!'_

"Sherriff Swan, glad you could come."

"Yeah wouldn't miss it."

"Do sit." Regina gestured to the light grey couch. Emma sat down with her legs open wide and rested her elbows on her knees, sitting slightly hunched over.

Regina sat across from her with her crossed her legs, her elbows on the arms of the chair and he back straight. Regina smirked to herself at the image of Emma back in her land sitting on a throne.

"Would you like a drink, Miss Swan?"

"That was why you invited me over wasn't it."

"Indeed." Emma smirked and then took her glass in her hand and raised it up and asked more than saying "To new beginnings?"

Regina followed her and raised her glass giving the other woman a sweet smile. "To new beginnings." They both drank.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Emma asked after she put down her glass.

"Oh, not really...can't say that couch is too comfortable." She took another sip of her wine.

"So next time I should carry you to your bed?" Emma watched as Regina practically spit out her drink.

"Sorry, went down the wrong pipe...uh something along those lines." Regina was blushing darkly feeling embarrassed at her own reaction. _'Way to act calm.'_

Emma looked her up and down. "For someone who didn't sleep well you look good."

Regina curled her lips up into a smile. "Thank you...oh as do you."

Emma blushed herself and took another gulp of wine.

"I liked your note...that you left for me."

"Oh that," Emma looked down and smiled. "It was silly."

"No it was sweet." They looked up and stared at each other. _'She has such pretty eyes.' 'They are so beautiful.'_

"So, uh, where is Henry?"

"Oh Archie said he would take him out for dinner after his session." Emma smirked again. _'Clever, gives us much more time.'_

"So, you can stay out longer than a usual evening?" She raised an eyebrow and watched as the Mayor shifted in her chair and cleared her throat.

"Oh...I never even thought about that, I guess so Miss Swan."

_'I bet you didn't.'_

_'The last thing I want is to be interupted'_

"So why spend a rare evening to yourself with me, Madam Mayor?"

"You sell yourself short dear. Contary to what I may have made you feel in past months Miss Swan I have grown to enjoy your company."

"Is that so?"

_'More than you know Miss Swan.'_

Regina nodded and finished her glass. "Look at that...I better get a refill."

_'I need to have her now, if she is not gonna make the first move it is up to me.'_

She got up and made her way to her desk to pour herself another glass. She turned around to see Emma standing close behind her.

"Would you like another drink?"

"No..." She walked closer making Regina walk backwards until she hit the desk behind her. Emma took the glass out of Regina's hand and put it down on the desk. "I want you."

Emma lifted Regina by her thighs and put her onto the desk with such force the small bugging device under the desk fell to the floor. It rolled down by Emma's foot. Emma stared at the device with wide eyes knowing for sure, she was done for. Regina pushed Emma off of her to inspect the device.

_'I had to put her on the desk...oh fuck, I am screwed...way to go Emma.'_

She picked it up off the floor and brought it close to her eyes. "What the hell? This is a recording device." She looked around the room. "Someone has being spying on me?" Emma saw panic flash in Regina's eyes.

"Gold? This is his doing? I know it. He would do this."

"Perhaps..." Emma looked down ashamed at herself but not willing to admit it was hers. She was so close to kissing the Mayor.

"This can't be happening. You don't understand! I have said things in my office that he could use to destroy my life. And knowing him he will manipulate my words and make it ten times worse. I am screwed, I am so screwed."

Regina had tears in her eyes that were threatening to fall down her cheeks and was running a shaky hand through her hair. Her face turned green. She leaned back against her desk sighing feeling defeated. She knew that if Mr. Gold heard her talks with Katherine he would play them back for Emma, play them to the town. It would be a political scandal. She would have to live in a town where she can't leave with everyone knowing her deepest darkest secret.

"He is gonna ruin me."

She covered her face as she began to cry, not wanting Emma to see her being weak.

"Regina, he won't...I...I can't believe I am doing this...it's mine..."

"What?" She looked at Emma blinking, sure she had misheard her.

"Gold didn't bug your office...I did."

"What!" Her fear was replaced with anger.

"I...I only meant to listen in to get some dirt on you to bring you down but then I heard you talk to Katherine..." Emma said nervously as she watched Regina's rage build inside her.

"Those were private conversations! Conversations you had no right to hear." The embarrassment, betrayal and rage were making Regina's voice crack, a lump formed in her throat and the tears were flowing freely down her face.

"I know...and I knew I shouldn't have listened in but I couldn't help myself...that is no excuse for spying on you..." Emma reached out to touch the mayor desperate for her to hear her side of the story but the second she touched her Regina flinched.

"Get out of my office Miss Swan."

"Please Regina let me explain."

"You have said enough. You can leave, I can't believe I was...I thought you were different."

"I am different." Emma pleaded making Regina jump up and walk over to her invading her personal space.

"No, you." Regina poked the Sherriff's chest in anger. "You Miss Swan, are a liar and are just like everyone else in this town and in my life."

"Please, I am sorr-" Tears were no forming in Emma's eyes.

"No! You don't get to apologize and give me those big puppy dog eyes and expect me to forgive you. Get the hell out of my office."

She moved over to the desk gripping it for something to hold onto with her back towards the blonde.

Emma knew she had to give her time. She hated herself for what she did but she had to respect the Mayor's wishes. So she left and the second Regina heard the door shut she let it all out.

Crying on the floor of her office wishing she hadn't built up Emma Swan as much as she did.

Emma stood outside city hall leaning against the double doors. The breeze making her tear stained face cold. _'I am gonna win her back. I have to make her forgive me.'_

**Xxx**

**A lot of you hate me right now...but keep reading, all is not lost for our two ladies. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10.**

Regina didn't show up to work the next day. She lay in bed and was beginning to feel numb. She had no idea how long Emma had been listening in on her. Had she heard her admit to her friend how her obsession with Miss Swan was not exactly a rivally but true love? Or had she heard when Gold had come in and openly called her "Your Majesty"? Had she been listening in when Henry had told her he hated her? Had she smiled at that?

Regina hated being vulnerable and hated more so that Emma had been the one to hear all that. One part of her wanted to seek revenge, for being betrayed. Another part of her felt understanding towards Emma. _'She heard you say you love her, if you heard her say that would you turn it off. And you have been lying to her. You also took away her parents and then her son...'_

Emma waited for an extra large coffee at Grannies. She had her hair under a hat and her eyes were red from crying the night before. She felt like she had been hit by an oil tanker. She had been up all night replaying the hurt look in Regina's eyes in her mind like a form of personal torture.

_'So fucking stupid, so stupid...'_

"She looks horrible." Granny whispered to Ruby as she walked past to the freezer.

"Granny!" Ruby hit her arm. "Maybe the news of the storm has kept her up planning."

Ruby handed her a large coffee in a take away cup. "Hey Emma, are you all set for the storm?"

Emma furrowed her brows and sipped her coffee. "Storm?"

"The one on the news...it is said to be as bad as the last one. The news said it was gonna hit the east coast of Maine pretty bad."

Emma frowned. _'Another storm? Really Maine? Ugh, I have to get back and plan ways to sandbag the ports and have patrols out in case of emergencies. Crap, she is still waiting for me to answer.'_

"Oh yes, don't worry, we will have more precautions set out this time."

_'Why did you say that?! I can't plan something like that at the moment.'_

"Phew...are you okay?" Ruby touched her arm gently, shaking Emma from her thoughts.

"Yes. I better go. Thank you for the coffee." Emma paid and left the diner heading towards the station.

_'I hate the weather here.'_

"She was not up worried about any storm. She has love problems." Granny told her grandchild who was leaning against the counter looking out the window.

"What makes you say that?"

"Oh please you can tell. Any ideas who she is with?" Ruby tried to hide a smirk.

"Maybe..."

"Are you gonna tell me child?" Granny asked impatient.

"No..." Ruby took a plate and walked over to Table 3 making her granny huff.

Across town at number 108, Regina jumped up when she heard her front door slam shut.

"Regina! I found your hide a key and a little bear with a heart by your door!" She groaned covering herself in a blanket and pretended to be asleep.

_'Go away.'_

Katherine came into her room and walked around the bed. "Get up!" She jumped into the empty space on the bed and sat up. "Your assistant, what's his name, said you called in sick...I was hoping to catch you and Miss Swan. Look what she left for you." Katherine handed her a teddy bear holding a red heart. Regina threw it aside. "Okay...did she just leave?"

"No." Regina said through gritted teeth. Katherine picked up on the tone. "Oh...honey, what happened, did she...turn you down?"

"No, she was actually going to kiss me." Katherine frowned confused by the news after seeing her friend's state.

"And what stopped you?"

Regina got out of bed and went to retrieve something from her dresser. She handed Katherine a small smashed electronical device. "What is this?"

"It is a bugging device." Regina flashed back to the night before when she took a hammer to it and damaged it beyond repair.

"And why do you have it?"

"That was under my desk. It fell when Emma lifted me onto my desk."

"What?" Katherine inspected the electronical device in her hands.

"Emma has been listening in to my office for god knows how long."

"Oh, honey. So she heard us talk about...oh well, that's wrong."

"Exactly." Regina pursed her lips. She sat back down next to Katherine.

"Okay, wait, what happened?"

"We were having drinks and I went to get her another and she said she wanted me" Regina rolled her eyes.

"And lifted me up and practically slammed me onto my desk and it fell. I-I got worried when I saw it. I thought it was Gold's doing and I may have freaked out...She just told me it was her...she apologized but..." Regina's voice cracked and she had to stop before she teared up.

"I understand" Katherine rubbed her knee and gave her a lopsidded smirk. "But hey it could be worse..."

"And how is that?" Regina asked in a hopeless voice.

"She could have heard you go to town on yourself." Katherine pushed out her bottom lip and nodded.

"Kath!" She sounded horrified. _'Oh crap what if she heard that. Really shouldn't do it at the office. Think of something else!'_

"What? That would be worse."

"Please stop talking." Katherine looked down and smiled feeling helpless.

"So...where does this leave you two?" She watched as Regina sighed and shrugged.

"I have no idea, I can't just forgive her. If she had put me on the couch, I would never have known. She would have kept spying. That hurts more than her listening in. She didn't tell me until she was caught."

"Well would you have told her if you were doing the same."

"No..."

_'I would have kept listening. She is so closed off...so are you...yes but...'_

There was a long silence making Katherine feel awkward, she patted Regina's knee again.

"Okay I think Rocky Road is order. Go get dressed. We are gonna get chocolate and ice cream and chocolate ice cream."

She went into her wardrobe and pulled out a shirt and slacks and put them on her bed. "Come on." She patted Regina's ass making her jump. "Go wait downstairs."

Katherine saluted and waited at the bottom of the stairs.

Emma had devised two plans. One for the storm and one to try to prove herself to Regina. After a long internet search, she called "Game of Thorns" and made an order. She frowned and hoped it would help her case.

_'I have screwed up horribly. If I had just kept my nose out she would have still come after me and I would probably be with her.'_

She sighed and threw a dart angerily at the dartboard, missing the board completely.

_'That is bullshit and you know it. If you had never listened in, you would have been suspicious, thought the Mayor was plotting something to mess with you and you would have said or done something worse.'_

Katherine heard someone move around by the front door and opened it to see Moe walk back to his van and drive off. The porch had four different bouquets on it all bright beautiful flowers. Katherine knew they weren't cheap. Miss Swan had to have blown at least a hundred bucks on them all. There was a card attached to one bouquet.

"Dear Regina, I am sorry." Katherine turned the card but that was it.

"Regina you have flowers at your door."

She came downstairs and saw the bouquets. Katherine saw her smile. She brought them inside. "Emma knows her flowers...Purple hyacinth means 'I am sorry'...Primroses mean 'I can't live without you'..."

Regina looked down as she felt her heart beat faster in her chest.

"A white violet means 'Let's take a chance.' And gardenia...means secret love. She is trying Regina...and at least you know how she feels...she knows how you do and she isn't scared."

"I know..."

"So why are you?"

"Why am I what?"

"Scared."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Regina stared at Katherine and pursed her lips tighter. "I am not scared."

"Oh that is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard."

"I'm pretty sure that's not true."

"You are so scared. You act like nothing ever scares you. Like you are above it but I know you. You need to open your heart more and let her see the real you."

"Are you forgetting that she spyed on me."

"Yes Emma did something wrong but if you keep pushing her away you will lose her."

Regina looked at her friend stunned. She was right. Katherine patted her arm. "Now come on lets get ice cream."

Regina didn't speak and went with her friend to the store.

_'She is right. I am scared to let Emma in...I was terrified to make a move last night. If she hadn't of tried to kiss me we probably just would have drank and gone separate ways. Granted even that didn't turn out as I hoped. Those flowers were really sweet and a beautiful gesture.'_

Regina thought of nothing but Emma all day. She managed to fall asleep mid evening, her mind exhasted from the week she was having.

Emma woke up with a start when a loud roll of thunder roared out in the night's sky. The tree by her window kept hitting it's branches off of her window making an eery tapping sound. She groaned and rolled over. She hated to admit it to anyone but she hated the sound of thunder, and the tapping sound was becoming frustrating. She grabbed her pillow and trudged up the metal staircase to her roommate's room. "Mary Margaret" she whispered. "Are you up?"

Emma watched as she turned over and mumbled and slowly opened her eyes. Emma cleared her throat."Can I sleep in here tonight?

Mary Margaret broke into a sympatheic smile. "Of course." She moved over and felt the need to comfort her friend as she lay down beside her but realised that might be weird so she went for an awkward pat on Emma's back then turned over and tried to go back to sleep.

_'Did she just pet me? I wonder if Regina would snuggle me in a storm. I can picture it. Her arms around me, my head on her chest and her running her fingers through my hair...that would be nice. Except she hates you...minor issue.'_

Emma groaned making Mary Margaret turn back around. Emma lay on her back staring up at the ceiling. "Are you okay?" Mary Margaret looked at her concerned making Emma frown. _'I need to vent and she is my friend. '_"Can I tell you something?"

Mary Margaret rubbed her arm softly. "Anything." She had a serious look and Emma had always trusted her but she felt the need to add.

"And it doesn't leave this room?"

"Of course, you have my word." Both women sat up and looked at each other.

"I have to tell you something first that is rather personal..."

"Okay..." She nodded and waited already 90 percent sure she knew what her friend was going to say. Emma closed her eyes and exhaled. _'She already knows...why is this so hard. Just tell her.'_

"I um, I like girls...well women, not girls that would be wrong...I am doing this wrong."

"Honey..." Mary Margaret grabbed her hand "Emma, it doesn't bother me. Relax..."

"It doesn't?" She looked at her roommate with sad green eyes making her pout.

"No." Mary Margaret smiled at her and rolled her eyes. She hugged Emma close to her. "You are so silly."

Emma let out a light relieved laugh so used to how most people in her past had acted to that news. Her last foster parents actually throwing her out over it. She held onto Mary Margaret a slight bit longer.

"So what was the problem? Did someone make fun of you over it? I will destroy them."

"Calm down. Besides that is not in your nature and no."

"Ohhh...so girl trouble?" She grinned as Emma nodded.

"Yes...um, someone wanted to be with me and I wanted her back but I messed it up..."

"Well I bet if you apologise to her, she will come around. Be patient. If it is meant to be, you will find her."

"But what if I messed up horribly?" She slumped feeling defeated.

"Does she love you?" Emma looked down, she knew how much Regina loved her but she had betrayed her.

"Does it matter?"

"Oh it's all that matters."

Emma threw her arms around her friend who caught off guard took a second or two to hug her back.

"You will win her back," She said reassuringly into Emma's ear as they continued their embrace.

Emma lay back down with a smile on her face when her friend spoke "So who is she?"

"Huh?"

"The woman...who is she."

"I...uh, actually um, she is not really out and I don't want to you know..."

"Oh! I understand, sorry."

"Don't be. Just go to sleep...it is late." Emma smiled and turned over.

"Thanks by the way." Mary Margaret said.

"For what?" Emma asked completely confused.

"For trusting me...Night."

"Night mam-Mary Margaret...night."

**Just a sweet chapter. Don't worry a new one will be up soon.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12.**

The storm was getting worse for Storybrooke. Large and heavy tree branches were falling over crashing onto the streets below. The sea became treacherous for boats to go out. Grannys specials board had flown out in front of Marco's car and smashed his windscreen. It was mid-afternoon when Emma finally found the board.

"It's getting really bad out there!" Emma practically yelled as she made her way into the diner with the specials board under her arm. "I just got news, Marco is fine." Ruby sighed relieved. "Oh thank god."

"I had some volunteers sand bag around the ports and I have advised most people to take in lighter objects." She handed the sign over to them. "Thanks Sherriff Swan."

Emma glanced out the window and saw Henry shepheard under Archie's umbrella into his office. _'There is no way I am letting him risk going home in this.'_

"Don't mention it...I gotta go." Emma ran across the road and into Archie's office. "Hey kid, wait up!" Emma caught them in the hall outside the office. "Emma!" He hugged her and she smiled. "Hi, look you can't go home in this. Archie, after his session could you drop him off at ours." Archie nodded. "Mary Margaret will look after you until I get back."

"Will you tell my mom?" Henry looked up at her. _'I am not sure she would even pick up if I did.'_

"Uh, you can call her at Mary Margaret's."

"I have been trying to call her but she won't pick up." Emma felt something sink in her stomach.

"What? She could be hurt like Marco." A lump formed in her throat and her breathing became harder.

"It could just be bad cell connection, what with the storm." Archie lowered his voice and whispered to her. "You are scaring the boy." Emma realised Henry was looking at her with fearful eyes. She had to keep it together for him.

"Yeah that could be it." She sighed and gave him a kind smile as she watched him relax.

_'I have to make sure she is okay.'_

"I better make my rounds...see you later." She turned and Henry waved at her even though there was no way she could see it.

"Bye Emma." Archie ushered him into his office.

Emma began to panic. What if something had happened to Regina? She even got to kiss her. She never got to even hold her. Emma hopped in her bug with her radio on the passenger seat in case she got a call. She called Regina's cell on the way and got no mention. She sped to city hall, all the lights were off.

She stopped the car and saw a notice on the door. "Closed due to storm, sorry for any inconvience." She sighed and got back in her car and made her way up the hill to Mifflin Street.

She felt fear grip her chest when the Mayor's house was the only one without any lights on. Emma stopped the car and practically ran down the pathway to the front door. She banged on the door. _'Open up, answer the goddamn door!'_

Regina opened the door in a black pants suit complete with a waistcoat with white on the collars of her blazer. She looked shocked to see Emma standing there. A gust of wind slammed the door back. "Miss Swan?" Emma who was staring at how incredible Regina looked was snapped back to focus.

"Oh thank god! You are okay." Emma smiled happy that nothing was wrong.

"Yes..." Regina stiffened, she hadn't seen Emma since the incident at her office and she didn't want to just let Emma back into her life.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Emma asked with a hint of anger.

"The power went out..." She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She gestured around to the many candles flickering in her room. "Come in, you are letting all the cold out."

Emma stepped past the door and shut it. Regina walked up the steps to the foyer and spun quickly. "Are you here because of Henry? Is he okay?"

"He is at Archie's, I told him to wait out the storm with Mary Margaret. I came here for you."

Regina scoffed "For me?"

"Yes, when I couldn't get a hold of you, I got worried. I needed to make sure you are okay."

"What no cameras hidden in my house?"

"Okay I deserve that...I am sorry for what I did Regina but honestly I am not sorry for what I heard."

Regina stared at Emma. There was a silence for a bit before Regina curled her lips into a smile."

_'Remember what Katherine said. I need to let her in. I don't want to lose her. Show her kindness...I could show her I could use her help.'_

"Do you know how to work a fuse box?"

"I...what?" Emma was thrown by the sudden change in subject.

"I need someone to flip the trip switch but I have no clue which one it is and I could...uh...use someone who knows how to." Regina said actually needing someone and wanting to let Emma in but still not wanting to just forgive her.

"I actually do...use to happen all the time in the foster home I was in in my teens...where is your fuse box."

"The games room, in the basement."

She led the way and Emma walked behind her and noticed her flowers on the side table on her way to the basement. "Did you like the flowers? I looked up their meanings."

Regina smiled to herself. _'So that wasn't just a huge coincidence.' _ "They are very lovely."

Emma smiled "I like the gardenia myself. It is very beautiful." _'Like you.'_

"It is, isn't it." Regina took a candle in her hand and lit it. She opened the door to the basement and propped a piece of wood by the hinge side to keep the door open.

Emma followed behind her and stumbled over the piece of wood sticking out. _'That could injure someone.' _She moved it and neither heard the door shut behind them as the walked down to the fuse box. Regina found a stool and dragged it over to the fusebox and offered Emma her hand so she could climb up.

Emma held Regina's hand longer than she should have. She found the trip switch and within seconds the room filled with bright lights. Emma got down and looked around. There was a pool table in the centre of the room. A dart board on the wall. A small bar in the corned and a large wrap around couch.

"This room is awesome." Emma said outloud. Regina smiled proudly. "I wanted a rec room but not somewhere where it would sully the rest of the house's decor...Why is the door shut?!"

Regina ran up the stairs to inspect. "Did you move the wood propping the door open?"

"Maybe..." Emma winced at the look Regina was giving her.

"The door does not open from the inside!"

**Told you, a new chapter would be up sooner than you would think.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"The door does not open from the inside!" Regina spun to stare at her from the top of the stairs.

"Why doesn't it open from the inside?!" Emma said in a panicked voice as she bound up the stairs to the door.

"Henry locked himself in and lost the key and Graham had to break it down." Regina sighed and rubbed her forehead._ 'Ugh, we are stuck.'_

"And you never thought to get it fixed?" Emma pulled on the handle.

"No! I have been busy. That is why there was a piece of wood there!" Emma ignored her and tried pushing on the door. Nothing happened. She slammed her shoulder into the door copying police shows she loves to watch.

"Ugh it won't budge."

"I told you it wouldn't. We will just wait for Henry to come home." Regina sighed and began to walk down the stairs while Emma continued trying to push on the door, growling in frustration.

_'Is she growling...fuck...'_

"He is staying with Mary Margaret. Do you have your cell phone?" Regina checked her pockets and remembered she left it upstairs.

"No...don't you have your police radio?"

"I do." Emma smiled happily. "I have my radio" She looked at her hip and noticed it wasn't attached. She checked again touching her holster and her badge and the spot where it should be. _'Ah crap!' _"In my car..."

"Good going there Sheriff. It should always be on you." She accused as she moved to the wrap around couch and dropped onto it.

"Well when I saw your house the way it was I got worried" Emma blushed at her confession and Regina smiled to herself. "...and left it...in my car."

_'She was really that worried...'_

Emma walked over and peered up at the basement window above her she pointed at it.

"Can we break the window?" Regina rolled her eyes and stared at her.

"There is a storm outside, and no we can't they are double glazed. Keeps the house warm." She spoke the last part mainly to herself. Emma took off her hat and heavy coat.

"And impossible to escape." Emma muttered.

"I guess we are stuck here until someone comes looking..." Regina took a deep breathe. She was beginning to feel claustrophobic. She closed her eyes for a minute. _'It is not bad, breathe. I am not trapped...I am not trapped. I am not trapped.' _Emma watched her curiously. _'What is she doing?'_

"Did you do this on purpose?" Emma accused.

"Yes Miss Swan, I made you take the wood out of the door." Both of them rolled their eyes.

"You do know I have a first name...it is Emma." _'Why does she never call me it?'_

"Really I had no idea." Regina shook her head.

Emma began pacing.

"Can you stop doing that?" Regina demanded.

_'What if no one comes, we are gonna starve.'_

"Do you have food down her?"

_'This room is too small...maybe if I use a pool cue I could smash a window...oh she asked about food...'_

"There are some snacks behind the bar."

Emma walked behind the bar and searched in the cabinet behind it marked "food."

"Okay we have microwavable popcorn...and no microwave..."

Regina took a deep breathe and flippantly answered.

"It is right behind you."

"Oh...well...we have some apollo bars and skittles..."

"Those are for Henry."

"I will replace them...I don't think we should starve."

"Don't be so dramatic. We are not gonna starve." Regina rolled her eyes.

"Oh really? The storm is gonna go on all night maybe tomorrow and the only people who come by here are Henry and Katherine and I told him to stay at mine and I am guessing Katherine is not gonna leave her house in this weather."

"So...we might be here for days..." The mayor paled as realisation hit her. She needed out.

"Yes, well two at the most...Regina, are you okay?" Emma made her way over to the couch and sat beside her noticing she was whiter than she had ever seen her.

"Yes" She said through gritted teeth.

"You look like you are gonna faint." The look of concern made Regina admit. "I am claustrophobic."

Emma scrunched her face. "But it's like a huge room."

"It's the stuck part." Regina closed her eyes and tried not to panic. Emma placed her hands on her shoulders. Regina opened her eyes and stared at her. "What are you..."

"Shush...take a deep breathe." Regina narrowed her eyes. "Do it." She did as she was told. "Okay good...now close your eyes."

Emma smiled to herself when she did what she told her. "Okay now picture a place that makes you happy and calm."

The mayor nodded. "Okay where is it."

"It is the park, by the pond, I am with Henry..."

"Okay good, you are not here you are there...keep taking deep breathes." Emma moved her arms down her shoulders to her forearms. "Feel better?"

Regina just nodded. "Keep taking those deep breathes." _'You are trying to help her stop staring at her chest heaving like that, it looks so hot. Focus Emma! Look at her face. It is beautiful and those lips...'_

"Thanks for that." Emma smiled softly. "No problem."

Regina looked down at Emma's hands and pulled away, trying not to forget how the other woman had crossed her. "You do know it doesn't change how I feel about you spying on me."

Emma sighed and moved back. "I know."

She got up and looked around trying to give the Mayor space. She sat on a bar stool and looked at Regina. "I am sorry. I never should have done it."

"Then why did you." She asked with her eyes starting to water. _'Do not cry, keep it together.'_

_'Just be honest with her.'_

"At first it was meant to be a way to bring down the 'Madame Mayor', the woman who kept besting me and then the first recording I heard you and Katherine mention some talk you guys had the day before and she said something like "The woman you love." about me."

Regina frowned as she listened. Emma continued.

"I was shocked to say the least and then some things started to make sense; the little fights, the always showing up and the looks. I never understood why you would look at me like you did." _'What way did I look at her.'_

"Like what?"

"Like you were hungry." _'Well I did want to eat you.' _Regina smiled embarrassed and looked down. "You could tell that?"

"Oh it was pretty obvious." Emma gave a coy smile and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Remind me to work on my subtlety."

"I will try to remember that...so anyway I should have stopped spying I know but it became so fascinating to hear you let your guards down and talk about feelings for me and then it would become that I would just listen in to hear your voice."

Regina smirked "Hear my voice?"

"Yes." Emma blushed. "You have a very nice voice." Regina chuckled to herself.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Anyway. I am...I am sorry." Emma let out a breathe of air.

"I can't say I honestly forgive you Miss Swan but seen as we are gonna be stuck together for god knows how long, I promise I will be civil."

"Does part of being civil involve drinks?" Emma raised an eyebrow making Regina break into a soft smile.

"Do you want a drink?"

"Thought you would never ask."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14.**

"Do you want a drink?"

"Thought you would never ask."

They smiled at each other.

"I will get them," Regina got up and made her way behind the bar. "What would you like?"

Emma spun on her barstool peering over the bar as she watched Regina bend down to look in the drinks cabinet."What do you have?" _'Nice ass.'_ Regina looked up and Emma looked away. _'Crap she caught me.' _

"I have cocktails; Cosmopolitan, Long Island ice tea. They are premixed but you don't really seem like a cocktails kinda girl." Regina shook her head and looked back in the cabinet.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Emma narrowed her eyes, unsure, on whether or not she had just been insulted.

"Just that you seem more on a beer kinda girl." Regina shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Emma silently agreed.

"Well do you have any of that?"

"I could check the mini fridge." She moved to the very small fridge, down the very back was a single brown bottle. _'Budweiser? Since when do I have budweiser. I actually think it might be Kath's.'_ "There is one? Do you want it?"

"For now. Yes." Emma watched as Regina searched the cabinets above for something. _'Is she on her tiptoes? Maybe I could get whatever it is for her.' _Emma went to move when Regina spun around with two tumblers in her hands.

"Do you want a glass?"

"No..." Emma corrected herself remembering Regina had mentioned her lack of manners. "No thank you."

Regina smiled to herself and handed Emma her bottle and took off her blazer. Emma stared at her. _'Woah, she looks so good in a waistcoat.' _Regina placed her blazer on the bar. "Sorry it was getting too warm for it." _'Never apologize for showing off your how hot you look in that outfit. In general...ever.' 'It is so cold, maybe I should put it back on. Ugh it is too late now.'_

"No, I-yeah, no, I understand." Emma winced internally at getting flustered while Regina smirked and went to get a glass for a scotch. _'Smooth, now she thinks you are a dork.'_

_'She is so cute. It is working. The blazer stays off.'_

"So uh, what do you wanna do." Emma asked. Regina looked to the side and began to think but her mind had only one thought flashing in a large neon light.

_'You.'_

"We could play darts..." Emma offered when the Mayor said nothing. Regina smirked. "How about we make it interesting."

_'Oh please say strip darts.'_

"I am listening."

"If we play a game it will be over quickly so what about..." Regina took the darts from the board and placed her glass on the pool table. "Every time we get an even number we can ask the other any question...and it has to be answered truthfully."

"Sounds like fun...you can go first." Emma gestured for her to take her place.

Regina moved to the line on the floor and aimed the dart. She threw it and it hit the bullseye dead on. She gave Emma a superior look. "You are an expert at darts, aren't you?"

The Mayor shrugged "No, only played the game once." _'However I am trained in archery and it is similar. Yeah like I can tell her that.'_

"So what is your question?" Emma winced expecting the worst.

"What stuff other did you hear off the bug, that weren't Katherine and I talking."

"Nothing, I only listened in on those talks..."

_'Great so she knows about the Ruby incident.'_

"Oh...good, your turn." She handed Emma a dart. The Sherriff was never that good at darts. She hit the wall. Regina bit back a giggle. _'Snow and Charmings' daughter has no skill at this whatsoever.' _

Regina got another bullseye. She took a sip of her drink and smiled. "If you were to name my best feature, uh, what would you say?" Regina blushed at asking the question feeling bashful all of a sudden.

Emma's eyes raked over her. She wanted to say everything. "Hard to say..."

Regina looked down an expression of hurt read over her face. _'I guess it must run in her family, the uninterest in my apperance.'_

Emma immediatly jumped. "Oh no, no, not because there isn't one because there are so many. I guess if I had choose I would say your eyes. They are very expressive and beautiful."

_'That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me.'_

Regina blushed darkly and her heart skipped a beat. She couldn't look at Emma. "My turn." Emma missed again and Regina chuckled. "I think you should shoot from..." Regina held her shoulders and moved her two steps forward. She let go of her shoulders and whispered near her ear. "Here."

"I am not that bad!" Emma defended.

"Tell that to my wall. Now, re-take your shot." _'I can see where Henry gets his stuborness.'_

Emma hit the seven on the board. "See, you are getting better."

She removed the dart from it's spot and handed it back to Regina. "Okay your turn." Regina didn't even look when she threw it. It effortlessly hit the 20 spot.

"That is not fair. You are like unable to make a bad throw."

"I have good wrist control."

Emma choked on her beer. Regina merely winked as the Sherriff tried to control herself.

_'Oh...my...hold it together.'_

"My question..." She moved closer to Emma. "Have you slept with anyone in Storybrooke?"

Emma shook her head innocently.

Regina looked at her shocked. "You have been here almost six months."

"Yes..." _'I haven't had sex in six months? Really...wow.'_

"And you never...with anyone?"

"No." Emma wiggled her nose feeling uncomfortable that she had admitted she has had no sex for 6 months. She went to take a shot and got a 10.

"The thing I heard Katherine talk about, about you and Ruby what happened exactly?"

"Uh, you heard that." Regina moved to the pool table and sipped her drink.

"Yes and you said we are to answer truthfully."

"Fine, um, it was after one of our fights and I saw Ruby walking home and I kissed her against the wall of Grannies and we went to your room there and uh, one thing led to another...um, and uh, I was picturing...younotRuby..." Regina was practically muttering at this point. "I called your name..."

Emma blushed and licked her lips. _'She had someone as hot as Ruby and was picturing me.'_

Regina took the dart and in her flustered state missed. Emma however didn't. "Ever seriously dated a guy?"

Regina drank her drink straight. She managed to choke out a "Yes."

"I am getting bored at playing darts. Would you like another drink?" Regina walked over to the bar not wanting Emma to see her face.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15.**

"I am getting bored at playing darts. Would you like another drink?" Regina walked over to the bar not wanting Emma to see her face.

Regina moved behind the bar and started pouring scotch into her glass. She sighed trying to hold back her tears. A lump formed in her throat.

_'Relax, breathe in...now out.'_

"I am guessing he was bad...trust me I know bad exes. Neal; Henry's father...he got me arrested while pregnant with his child." Emma pouted at remembering it. Regina ignored her and kept her head down trying to keep Emma from seeing her face.

"Please drop it."

_'They weren't bad. Well Leopold was. He was the worst but Daniel was the kindest man I ever met. He didn't deserve what happened to him. Stupid Snow...it has been over three decades...breathe.'_

"I'm sorry, is this because of Graham?" Emma guessed. _'Crap, I shouldn't have mentioned that. Now she will be down. Way to go Emma.'_

"Oh...what? No, he and I weren't serious." Regina drank her glass and poured another for herself.

"Oh...okay." Emma began to get concerned. Regina poured another scotch and gave Emma one. "Do you drink scotch?" Emma shrugged and took the glass.

Regina sighed and admitted. "I was engaged and then married...to two separate men. I loved one, and the other well he didn't know how to treat women...they both died anyway."

Emma reached out and held her hand gently. "I am sorry I brought it up."

_'I never knew she was married. One of them sounds like a piece of work. Maybe he hurt her, that would explain why she always has her guards up. Why she finds it hard to let people in.'_

_'She keeps looking at me with pity in her eyes. I hate that look.'_

The mayor shook her head. "How were you to know." She looked down at the hand over hers and gulped.

_'I need to make her smile. Maybe another game...not darts, something fun.'_

Emma gave her a kind smile. She smiled back. Emma peered behind her and tilted her head. "Take out the Jack, I have an idea for something to do for a while."

Regina reached back and took out the Jack Daniels bottle and two small glass and put them on the bar. "And the Skittles...what I am hungry." Regina playfully rolled her eyes and took out the bag of Skittles too before moving around the bar to sit on the stools. "So what is this idea of yours?" Emma opened the bag and put a skittle in her mouth.

"Have you ever played 'Have I ever'?" Emma asked knowing the answer. Regina furrowed her brows trying to recall if she had ever played it. "No, can't say I have."

"Okay, you say something like "I have never...um, had sex with a woman...and if you have you take a drink." Regina nodded "Okay...so both of us would be taking a drink now." She smirked as Emma blushed. "Yes."

"It is your game Miss Swan, you should start it off."

"Um, I never...slept with anyone in Storybrooke." Emma gave her a wicked grin. "Drink up Madame Mayor." Regina drank her shot and held her hand up.

"Ughhh, okay, I have never been arrested." Emma's grin turned into a scowl. "You will find, I play to win." Emma downed her shot.

_'I can see that.'_

"Um, I have never slept with Leroy?" _'Please god, do not let her drink.' _She stared at Regina's full glass and Regina brought the glass to her lips and laughed. "Really Miss Swan?" Emma shook her head. "I had to check."

_'Her face looks even more beautiful when she laughs.'_

_'Okay, I have to check.'_

"I have never...had sexual thoughts about Miss Blanchard?" Regina waited praying to god that Emma would not take a sip because even if Emma did forgive her for the curse, she might never forgive her for that. The mayor sighed happily when Emma shook her head. _'Thank god for that.'_

"I have never...okay, I have never taken drugs." Neither drank and Regina rolled her eyes at the lull in the game.

"Okay my turn...I have never, had a sexual dream about a Mayor." She licked her lips and smirked as Emma blushed and quickly drank. "Was I good Miss Swan?"

_'I woke up in layer of sweat. That was because she was on top and groaning, and stop thinking about it.'_

Emma pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. "Who said that mayor was you?"

"Good point...but..." Regina looked Emma up and down with desire filling her eyes. "I am right."

Emma gulped and laughed nervously. "You do know two can play at this game. I have never had sexual dreams about the current Storybrooke Sherriff."

Regina locked eyes with her as she drank.

_'Mmm, she is so fucking hot...'_

Regina wanting to keep the playful flirtation going but her drink was hazing up her thoughts.

"I have never..." She put her finger to her lips as she tried to think of one to do.

"Having trouble coming up with things you never do?" Emma smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps. Maybe you should go."

"I have never...bought a sex toy." Emma blushed at the confession and blushed even darker when Regina brought her glass to her lips.

"You should probably consider it considering you haven't had sex in 6 months."

Emma licked her lips and spoke in a low voice, the drink making her speak her mind. "My fingers are more than capable of getting the job done."

The confession made Regina almost choke on her drink.

_'Oh my god.'_

Emma hopped off her bar stool and immediately began patting her back. "Sorry didn't mean to make you choke." When she had stopped coughing Emma continued. moved her hand slowly up Regina's back.

"Are you okay?"

Regina nodded and calmed her breathing.

"Maybe we should cool off on the game a bit. Don't want to get too drunk."

"You're right." Regina put her glass down and looked over her shoulder. Emma was still running her hand up and down her back in a comforting motion.

Emma noticed Regina looking at her. "Oh sorry." She moved her hand before the mayor could protest.

Emma stretched. "This thing is heavy." She took off her holster and placed it over by Regina's blazer. "I would imagine." _'Try carrying a bow and set of arrows.'_

A loud roll of thunder filled the silence in the room and made a shiver run down Emma's spine. She winced and Regina noticed.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't like storms." Emma said flippantly. Regina pouted. _'That is the cutest thing.'_

"DNA is very strange, Henry, has the same fear...you know when there were storms I would hold him in my arms and hum to him."

"I never knew that about him."

"It is very adorable...DNA again." Regina offered her a kind smile. Emma smiled back. "Oh I am sure he gets that from you."

Regina laughed. "I am not sure anyone else in this town would agree with you on that."

"Then I am sorry to tell you that you look over a town filled with idiots."

_'No, arguments there.'_

Regina moved off her bar stool to the couch. Emma followed her.

**To be continued...**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16.**

"I'm starving, are you starving?" Emma asked before she hit the couch the Skittles doing nothing to ease off her hunger. "Make the popcorn."

"Ooh, good idea."

Emma almost ran to the bar, her stomach getting the best of her. Regina leaned back into the couch and watched her. _'It is strange how much like Henry she is or rather the other way around. Genetics are fascinating. They have that sheepish smile. And yet she has very few traits from her own mother. Okay, her chin...and her head tilt thing. I guess she gets her knight thing from her dad...'_

_'She is doing that far off staring thing. Wonder what she is thinking about?'_

The microwave dinged and Emma put the popcorn in a large bowl she found in a bottom cabinet. _'Why did we not do the future town thingy down here. This room is the best, don't even mind being trapped down here. Unless I have to pee. Oh now I have to pee. Damn, is there a toilet?'_

"Regina um, is there a bathroom here?" Regina smirked. "It's the room, over there" Regina pointed to a door Emma thought led to a utility room. "It is just a toilet and a sink...be glad I put toilet paper in it recently." Emma ran off in the direction of it. "Thank god!"

"Please wash your hands after...sorry habit." Regina called after her like she did for her son. She walked up to the bar and took the bowl of popcorn and sat on the couch.

Emma came back out tucking her shirt into her jeans. Regina watched her with her head tilted. _'Why is that so sexy?' _She licked her lips watching as Emma sat down beside her and took a handful of popcorn.

"It is getting really dark outside."The mayor announced. Emma looked past her out the window. "I guess it is night."

"You are a genius Miss Swan." Regina said sarcastically. Emma shook her head and threw a piece of popcorn at her. The mayor gave her a withering look then burst into a smile.

"Can I ask you something personal, something I have always wondered?"

_'Ugh...really.'_

"Yes, Miss Swan, I am bi." Emma threw another piece of popcorn at her.

"Shush you, no, I know so much about the great Madame Mayor but I have no clue how old you are." Emma winced waiting for abuse to come or for the line "You don't ask a woman about her age." instead Regina contemplated the answer.

_'Interesting question, if you add the years frozen I am...62...wow...I can't be. I was 33 when I cast the curse...plus 28 years frozen, then like like 6 months...I am 61. Well technically. I would be 34 if you take away the looped time.'_

"It is rude to ask a woman her age."

_'Damn! I knew she would say that.' _Emma raised an eyebrow.

"I will just ask Henry."

_'He doesn't even know, that will just complicate things. I should just tell her...minus the frozen years.'_

"Fine. I am 34."

Emma smiled triumphantly then furrowed her brow when realisation hit her on something she had never really thought of before. "Wait, so...You adopted a kid at 24? You must have really wanted kids."

"Well I looked after this annoying brat of a child when I was younger who put me off children all together. I swore off children for years." Regina thought how weird it was that she had raised two generations of the White family and wanted to be with the one in between them. _'Do not dwell on it.'_

"But then I met other children, and I just felt that pull, that need to prove I could be a good mother and well we all know how that turned out." She bit the inside of her cheek and stiffened her jaw.

"Hey, no, Henry loves you. You are a great mother to him." Emma wrapped an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. Tears formed in Regina's eyes and she said something she had on her mind.

"If that were so Miss Swan, you wouldn't be here."

Emma felt a tear hit her shoulder. She rubbed the mayor's arm lightly.

"That was more self discovery...He is a curious boy. You are an amazing mother."

"You really mean that?" Regina moved back and looked into her eyes.

"Yes. You are the kind of person I always pictured him with...when I thought about him..."

Regina wiped her eyes embarrassed that she had cried.

"Was that often?"

"Uh, honestly not really. Only on big events and holidays but then I would remember that his new parents would be able to spoil him with gifts and make him smile."

"He does love Christmas." Regina offered. A small smile forming on her face as she thought about her son.

"Does he?" Emma felt a breath catch in her throat. _'I bet she would actually spoil him.'_

"Yes, we have this tradition..." Regina's smile grew bigger. "Where I always hide a big suprise gift somewhere then during the day he will find it in a room and I fake a shocked voice and say 'Santa must have forgot to put it with the others.'"

"Has he grown out of Santa?" Emma was curious.

Regina shook her head happily at her son's innocent nature.

"What am I saying, he believes I am Snow Whites' daughter and this whole town are fairytale characters..."

_'Well he is right there...'_

"Wild imagination..."

"When did you stop believing...in Santa Claus?" Emma smiled at her as she waited. Regina had no clue what to say. She grew up in a land without the character of Santa.

"I, uh, can't remember..."

"I remember it well, an older kid in my...third foster home told me."

"How old were you?"

"About six I think."

"Some children at school tried to tell Henry at that age but he kept on believing." She took a piece of popcorn and there was a silence.

"What is your favorite holiday?" Emma blushed "That was a stupid questi-"

"Halloween, you get to dress up. I do love a good costume. What about you?"

"St. Patrick's day. Drinking and parties." Regina rolled her eyes. _'Typical answer.'_

A loud roll of thunder tore through the night. Emma jumped sending popcorn everywhere.

"Sorry, the thu-thunder, I will get them." She cursed under her breathe as she picked up the kernals.

She picked up all the pieces and put the on the coffee table. Regina moved the bowl to the same area not wanting a repeat performance.

It continued, loud bangs sounding like cannons exploding in the distance. Emma gripped the couch and closed her eyes. Regina placed her hands over the Sherriff's. It was louder than before. The sound of rain that had been their background noise was becoming muffled.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked concerned. Emma kept her eyes closed and managed to choke out.

"Uh huh." _'Smooth Emma...'_

Regina wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. "You are okay..." She began humming 'Somewhere over the Rainbow'.

Emma closed her eyes tighter and paid attention to the soft humming, trying to block out the clashes of thunder outside.

_'This is exactly as I pictured it. It feels nice.'_ Emma snuggled closer to Regina. She inhaled and took in the intoxicating scent of Regina's perfume. It made her relax.

"You know Henry's fairytale theory, I think he has me wrong..."

"How so?" Regina asked curiously. _'Trust me, he has you right.'_

"I think I would be the Tin man from Wizard of Oz because we are similar."

"The gay thing?" She joked and earned a light pinch of Emma.

"No. The needing a heart thing."

"Maybe you are him because he had the biggest heart of all." Regina moved her arm that was wrapped around the blonde so she could place her hand over Emma's chest. She felt her heart skip a beat. She had held a lot of human and fairytale hearts in her hands but Emma's was the biggest of them all.

"That is my boob..." Emma thought out loud as she looked down at the hand. Regina went to move her hand but Emma held it there. She nestled closer and her eyelids began to close. Regina moved her other hand to sweep blonde hair off of Emma's face as the Sherriff began to fall asleep.

**To be continued.**

**Author's note: I did get the name of the game wrong yesterday, sorry. This chapter is a bit deeper than the others.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Emma stirred in her sleep when she felt something hit into her. She awoke immediately. _'Where am I?' _She barely opened her eyes. She saw an arm around her and she could feel she was resting her head on someone's shoulder. She took a deep breathe and recognised the perfume immediately.

It was Regina. Emma smiled and nestled closer about to fall back asleep when she heard her groan in her sleep and then mutter "No." Emma moved back and saw pain on the Mayor's face. She shook her lightly. "Regina, wake up."

It was clear she was having a nightmare. Her breathing was quick and she was almost panting. If Emma wasn't worried she would have been turned on. She moved off of the couch and shook her again. Regina stirred and opened her eyes to find a concerned Emma looking at her. "You were having a bad dream, are you okay?"

Emma moved the hair of her face gently, and gave her a sad smile. The rain was still pounding down outside. Regina cleared her throat.

"What, yeah, yes. I um, I need to use the restroom." She slowly slipped off the couch away from Emma and walked to the bathroom.

Emma sighed and watched her go.

After flushing the toilet she began washing her hands and looked for toiletries she had left down here. There was no toothpaste but a small mouthwash. She used it. _'Wouldn't want morning breathe around her.' _She washed her face and applied some more perfume. She opened the door and peeked out.

Emma yawned and stood up to stretch. She didn't notice Regina watching her from the bathroom door as she brushed her hair. She tilted her head and stared at Emma's biceps as she raised them above her head. _'She looks really strong. Bet she could carry me to bed.'_

"I can see you, you know." Emma pointed to a mirror across from them and Regina blushed darkly. "So you can." She put the brush down and walked back to where she was sleeping.

"I don't think we slept for long, it is still dark."

Emma sat down beside her. "Sorry for falling asleep on you."

"Don't worry about it Miss Swan." Emma leaned in closer. "Why is your breathe minty?"

Regina felt her stomach flutter at how close the Sheriff was. "I uh, found mouthwash." Emma practically ran to the bathroom and drank from the bottle, rinsed and spit and came back to sit down. She shrugged "I hate morning breathe."

Regina nodded. Emma patted her knee. "Are you okay?"

"I usually have an apple to wake myself up...in the mornings"

Emma smiled at how cute she was and chuckled. "And this is the only room in your entire house without apples." Emma stood up to look for them. She leaned over the bar and Regina bit her lip at the sight of Emma's ass in her jeans. _'I need to get her out of them.'_

Emma turned around and caught her leering making Regina gulp.

"Did you know they wake you up more than a cup of coffee." The Sheriff rested her back against the pool table. _'She was checking out my ass. Go me.'_

"I did not"

"Not just a honey crisp apples, any common one will wake you up more and it is healthy and far more delicious...and I am rambling." She offered Emma a kind smile who returned it.

"It's good. You have nice apples." Emma trailed her eyes down from Regina's eyes to her chest.

"Oh really?" Regina smirked and moved off the couch.

"Oh yeah." Emma licked her lips. She cleared her throat. "Ever play pool?" She had no idea where that came from. _'Ever play pool?! Really Emma. That was what you say?'_

"I, uh...not really." She said confused at the change in pace. _'Maybe I spooked her.'_

"Do you want to play?"

"I am not very good at it." She assured her but Emma moved over to the couch and took her hand. "I can teach you." Regina stared down at the hand in hers. _'Her hands are so soft.'_

Emma led her to the table and began to set the balls into the triangle set. She took the pool cues off the table and handed one to Regina. "Do you mind if I go first."

She merely shook her head and watched Emma take the first shot. The balls split from their centre and a striped ball went into a corner pocket. "That means you are only to hit the balls with spots." Regina grimaced at the wording.

"You have a dirty mind Miss Mills." Emma smirked and Regina opened her mouth "I said nothing." Emma grinned at her. "It was all over your face."

Regina fake gagged. "Ugh, don't say that." The act made Emma burst into laughter and soon the Mayor herself was laughing along.

When it died down Emma told her to take her go. The white ball bounced off the table and Emma had to stop it with her foot. "Wow you weren't kidding about never playing."

Regina gave her a hurt look making Emma pout. _'She is so adorable when she pouts.'_

"I will show you. Look for your best shot." Emma noticed a good move and she moved behind her and put down her own pool cue. She placed her hands on Regina's hip making a shiver run down the Mayor's spine and her take a sharp intake of breathe.

"Stand here. See that ball there, that is your target" She pointed at a green ball. Regina couldn't speak; she nodded.

Emma placed her thumbs on her back and bent the other woman slightly. "You need to bend a slight bit. Now..." She moved her right hand to Regina's right wrist. Her other hand loosely on her hip. "Hold the cue in this hand and bend your wrist like so but keep it loose." She moved the Mayor's wrist in.

"Good, now...This hand." She removed her hand from her hip and tapped Regina's left bicep. "Make a V shape" Regina turned and made a vulcan hand move separating her middle and ring finger from each other.

"Like this?" Emma giggled over her shoulder. "No, but impressive. Not many people can do that."

"What can I say I have impressive fingers."

Emma blushed darkly and bit her lip. In a lower voice she told her "I bet." She held her hand over Regina's left hand and stroked her thumb and index finger. "Make a V with these."

Regina heard the arousal in her voice and gulped. "Now..." Emma placed the cue inbetween Regina's fingers. She moved her hands back to the mayor's hips. "Take your shot...gently."

She did as she was told and the ball went in. "You did it!"

"I did it!" She put down the cue and turned to hug Emma. When they pulled away they stayed close. Emma stared into her eyes. "I knew you could..."

Regina stared back. "Just needed someone to teach me..." She breathed out and moved her eyes down to Emma's lips.

Emma sighed and grabbed her neck crashing her lips against hers.

**To be continued**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18.**

**Might be a bit graphic...**

Emma sighed and grabbed her neck crashing her lips against hers.

Regina opened her eyes shocked at the sudden move but soon kissed her back. An intense shiver ran through both women. Emma pulled Regina's bottom lip back with her teeth. "You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that."

"Shut up" Regina crashed her lips against Emma's again. Their kiss was frantic and passionate. Feverent moans coming from both women.

Emma moved her hands down the mayor's back and down to her ass. She lifted her up onto the pool table. The movement made Regina groan. Emma began peppering kisses down the mayor's neck as she began to unbutton her waistcoat but in her aroused frantic state she was almost tearing it off her. Regina pushed her back making Emma pout.

Regina removed her waistcoat and put it aside. She made a come hither gesture with her index finger and watched as Emma Swan's eyes dilated even further than they had been. Emma strutted back over to the mayor and kissed her passionately.

Emma worked her way down Regina's shirt and pushed it down her shoulders. Goosebumps erupted on Regina's skin at the feeling of exposure. Emma raked her nails up her back and stopped at her bra. She unclasped it and moved it off the soft shoulders. She dropped it to the side and broke their kiss.

"You are so gorgeous." Emma stated matter of factly making Regina blush darkly. The blonde moved her lips down Regina's neck again as she glided her hands up the Mayor's front. She cupped Regina's boobs in her hands making the Mayor gasp. She used the pad of her thumb over a hard nipple making Regina moan.

She pinched a nipple lightly causing another moan as she sucked on her neck. "Em-Emma" She called out making Emma stop.

"Am I hurting you? Or going to fast?" She asked starting to feel like she had taken it to far.

Regina shook her head and barely managed to get out "Too much clothes." between ragged breathing. "You...need less..." She pulled her shirt over her head and smirked as she removed her bra. "Better?"

Regina licked her lips "Much". Emma smiled and moved between Regina's legs and took a hard nipple in between her lips. She sucked on it and gripped Regina's back.

The Mayor closed her eyes and hissed in pleasure at the sensation, feeling wetness pool between her legs.

"Y-you know what...y-your doing." Regina panted as Emma bite down lightly.

Emma hummed and started to unbutton the Mayor's slacks. She tore her lips away from Regina's body to lift her hips so she could pull the trousers off and to the floor.

Regina gripped the edge of the table and tried to hide her arousal from Emma but it was evident through her panties.

Emma bit her lip and placed her hands on Regina's thighs and stared into her brown eyes. "We don't have to do this you know."

"I want to."

Both broke into smiles and Emma playfully rolled her eyes. "You have no idea how happy that makes me."

"You are such a dork."

"You love it" Regina pulled Emma back for a kiss, filled with desire and hunger. Emma's hands were on her hips. She moved one hand over Regina's panties and cupped the area.

It felt damp against her palm, she rolled it up making Regina groan against her lips. She moved slowly teasing the other woman. Regina wrapped her hand around Emma's wrist and directed her to the waistline of her panties. Emma got the hint and dipped her fingers past the fabric.

Her fingers met Regina's soft wet lips. She teasingly moved a finger just past her lips moving slowly up and down until she could feel it get wetter. Regina groaned loudly and Emma broke their kiss yet again. She looked at Regina who had her eyes closed and was breathing heavily with her back arched.

"Em-emma, please!" Regina practically whimpered. Emma smirked and kissed down the Mayor's stomach and groaned when she inhaled the scent of her arousal. Regina opened her eyes to see Emma's blonde hair move inbetween her legs. She gripped onto it as the Sheriff began to eat her out eagerly.

Regina panted loudly and threw her head back as she feels the pressure build inside her. She threw her legs over Emma's shoulders causing the blonde to hum against her in approval.

Emma using one hand to hold her lips apart and the other wrapped around Regina's thigh began to move her tongue over her clit in a zig-zag motion causing a loud moan from the woman above her.

Regina swore loudly and gripped Emma's hair in her hands. She could feel herself getting closer, she pushed Emma closer trying her hardest to keep her hips from bucking into her face.

Emma moaned into her, the sound and feeling making Regina get even closer. Emma moved slightly faster.

Regina arched her back and swore "FUCK EMMA!" and gasped loudly before loosening her grip on the blonde locks.

Her whole body trembled, her toes curled and her breathing became even heavier. Emma continued her movements wanting Regina's orgasm to last longer and not wanting to stop.

When she stopped trembling, she collapsed back Emma began kissing up her stomach and pulled Regina's body upward and holds her close. "You are so fucking sexy...Madame Mayor." Emma laughed lightly and Regina sighed into her shoulder trying to catch her breathe.

Emma lifted her off the table and carried her to the couch and lay her down. Looking at the naked mayor with her body glistening in sweat and her skin glowing, Emma swore she has never seen anything as beautiful.

"Get down here." Regina demanded. Emma smirked and sat down beside her. Before she could even say anything Regina pounced on her. She straddled her lap and kissed down her neck.

"I thought you were tired."

"Are you questioning my stamina Miss Swan?"

"Kinda, yeah." Emma smirked playfully and kissed the mayor as her hands scratched down her back. "I never did get to see how capable your fingers really are..."

"You want to go again, so soon?" Regina began nibbling her earlobe. She leaned closer to whisper.

"Yes. But first." She dove her fingers past Emma's jeans, past her panties. "You are very wet Miss Swan." Regina teasingly moved her finger past Emma's lips like Emma had done to her.

"Well you are... v-very sexy." She managed to choke out.

"Is that so?" Regina moved her finger up to her clit and Emma panted and nodded.

Regina sucked on her neck as her fingers moved over Emma's throbbing clit. Emma bit back a moan. She could feel Emma get really wet and helped remove the rest of her clothing before moving back on top of her.

She moved her fingers further down and slowly pushed one finger into Emma making her gasp at the feeling. Regina pulled her finger almost all the way out before pushing it back in again. She moved her fingers upwards and felt Emma get even wetter and it move down her palm.

"Do you like that?" She purred into her ear. Emma choked out "More." and Regina added another finger and curled them inside Emma.

The Sheriff let out a whimper at the insane feeling of pleasure. Regina was better than her fingers were. She felt herself getting close. She closed her eyes tightly and gripped Regina's wrist in place as her muscles tensed. Regina could feel it and moved more deliberately as she took Emma's nipple in her mouth. She bit down and felt Emma jerk beneath her.

"Holy fuck!" She closed her eyes tightly as she came around Regina's fingers. She had barely caught her breathe when she saw the Mayor bring her fingers to her lips and suck them clean. "Yo-you are...that was...epic." Emma pulled her back for another kiss.

**To be continued...**

**I had a lot of problems with tenses when I first released this.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19.**

Emma and Regina were sitting on the floor beside the couch, their bodies wrapped around each others, their chests heaving. Regina had her head resting on Emma's shoulders. She began to twirl a loose strand of blonde hair around her fingers. Emma was panting heavily, she tried to control her breathing, feeling a slight bit of embarrassment at how loud she had just screamed the Mayor's name and extremely thankful that their son was out of earshot.

"You have sex hair Miss Swan." Regina stated as she continued to play with it. Emma blushed and added. "And carpet burns." Sections of the Sheriff's back feeling raw against the material of the red wrap around couch. Emma recalled the events that had lead up to them. Her mind was flooded with images of her most recent sexual encounter with the Mayor. _'Totally worth it.' _She sighed contently.

"Please don't be offended but I think I need a good long break before we go again." Emma told her still breathing heavily.

Regina pouted and looked up at Emma not wanting to ever stop pleasing the woman. Already missing the sounds of her low moans, the feel of her pulsating around her fingers.

"How are you not tired?!" Emma shook her head in disbelief.

"I told you I have amazing stamina." Regina stuck her chin up proudly.

_'You definetly proved that tonight...this morning? Whatever it was, she is fucking amazing at fucking.'_

"Yes but I thought you meant for another round not four." The comment made Regina smirk and crawl on top of Emma, her thigh in between Emma's legs. She traced small patterns on the blonde's shoulder gently.

"Did I wear you out?" She asked with mock innocence.

Emma nodded making the Mayor smile up at her and kiss her softly. "Sorry but making you...well it is a sight to see."

"Don't apologize for that." Emma looked up as she ran through the last few hours again in her head. Regina looked into her eyes.

"Usually I never care about getting the other person off...but with you...it's..." She searched for a word to describe how she felt. Emma kissed her lips lightly and answered for her.

"Different."

"Yes." Regina gave her a toothy smile and then she looked down when something made her think.

There was a silence, Regina tensed above Emma's body. _'I need to ask her because I can't not be with her.'_ She built up her courage to ask what was on her mind. "Um, Emma?"

"Yes Regina?"

"When we get out of here...will it be different?" She looked into Emma's eyes showing how vulnerable she was feeling but Emma just frowned back at her.

"What do you mean?"

"What um, what are we?"

"I only really ever have one night stands..." Emma admitted making Regina tear up though she tried not to.

_'I should have known she wouldn't want to date me, who would?'_

"Oh...yeah I...uh..."

"But...I want to change that." Emma placed her index finger under Regina's chin making her look into her eyes. Emma met tear filled brown eyes and gave the Mayor a sad smile.

"Really?"

"Yes, I want to be with you Regina, life is short."

Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's neck and pulled her down for a kiss. When they separated Regina moved her hand a chuckled. Emma frowned at not getting the joke. "What?"

"You should see your neck...let's just say, you should be glad it is cold out, because you need an excuse to wear a scarf." She ran her fingers over the purple marks all over Emma's neck where she hand got carried away. Emma rolled her eyes.

"I will wear them with pride." The Sheriff puffed out her chest as Regina's face fell.

"Emma...I want to be with you but...we have to keep this quiet. At least for a bit."

"Why?" She stared at Regina with a hurt look.

_'She obviously does not want to be seen around town with me. Regina Mills slumming it to be with Emma Swan.'_

"Why? Because of Henry. He will freak out if he sees that I left love bites all over your neck. We need to approach it delicately." The Mayor placed her hands over Emma's making a comforting gesture. Emma sighed.

_'That is probably for the best.'_

"That is actually very wise."

"Why thank you." Regina rewarded her with a soft gentle kiss. She way back down with her head on Emma's shoulder.

"It looks like the storm has stopped." The Sheriff stated as she saw the sun dully rise from the basement window.

"So it has...Emma, when we do manage to get free, could I maybe take you out on a date." Regina asked nervously as she traced her fingers over Emma's stomach.

"How traditional. And yes Madame Mayor, I would love to."

"Oh shush you." Regina tickled her side making Emma howl with laughter. She grabbed Regina's hands and held them above her head but a bright purple light by the window shook her from her actions.

"What the hell is that?"

Regina grunted at the change of pace and turned her head. She dropped Emma's hands immediately and moved off of Emma. Her eyes wide with fear.

"Oh no..."

"What is that? A smoke bomb?" Emma tilted her head and looked up at the window.

"No...Magic." Emma raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"No, really what is it?"

_'That is magic. How is there magic in Storybrooke? How is this happening? It has to be Gold but how?'_

Emma watched Regina feeling scared that she was having a nervous breakdown.

Regina frantically began to redress with panic on her face. She started pacing when a realisation came to her.

"True Loves Kiss...breaks any curse..." She opened her mouth in shock. Emma scrunched her brow, completely confused by the Mayor's train of thought.

"Okay Regina, you lost me." The Mayor turned to her looking pale as a ghost and gulped.

"The curse is broken."

**To be continued.**

**(Now you know why I made you wait so long for a kiss)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20.**

"You aren't making any sense." Emma started looking for clothes feeling odd being so naked when Regina was in a bra and panties and putting on her slacks.

"The curse, the one from Henry's book...we broke it and everyone will be after me now."

"Yeah...right." Emma shook her head and laughed. "Fairytale characters are living here?" Emma jeered as she put on her shirt and panties.

Regina was clutching the edge of the bar breathing erratically. The sound of her irregular breathing made Emma speed over to her. She ran a hand down the Mayor's back. Her panic was tenfold from when she had claustrophobic thoughts. "This...is...n-no joke. Henry...was right." Regina said through gritted teeth.

Emma laughed a humor less laugh. "You...no, that can't be right."

"No, because that would mean Mary Margaret is my...no, that isn't right." Emma scoffed and shook her head. _'She can't be my mother.'_

Regina nodded with tears in her eyes and confessed. "She is your mom..." Emma's eyes bulged, her forehead creased. "She can't be."

"Emma..." Regina pleaded with her. The look of desperation and terror made Emma shake her head again.

"No she can't be because then you are...no..."

"Queen Regina..."

Regina sighed and looked down.

"If what your saying is true you cursed everyone to this world, to what become Mayor and fuck Snow White's daughter?"

Her head whipped up to stare into Emma's eyes with an incredulous look. "I never planned that. I came here to start over. I never asked for the life I was given."

Emma began pacing and running her hands through her hair.

"Ohh god, this is not happening."

"Emma, I wanted to tell you, I did but how do you tell someone you love that." She blurted out but saw that Emma's was over thinking, not listening to what she was saying.

"My mom is Mary Margaret, she talked to me about her sex life..."

"I'm sorry." Regina said placing her hand over Emma's.

"I came out to her...I have a mother." Emma stated.

"Yes."

"A mother who you tore me from." Her anger build up inside her. _'Mary Margaret would have cared for me. I would of had a loving home. A family.'_

"Your mother tore me from someone I loved! And I didn't even know about you. I had no clue she was even pregnant when I cast my curse."

"You cast a curse...can you still cast curses? Do you have me under one?" Emma gripped Regina's arm as she demanded an answer.

"What?" Regina was feeling desperate. She had her True Love. She had it in her hands and she could see it slipping away right in front of her.'_There is no way she will believe me.'_"No, I have no magic here. Well had none. That purple smoke you saw that was magic."

Emma scoffed._ 'Fairytales exist...and I am one.'_

"This is all so crazy."

"Trust me I know." Regina sighed. Emma cleared her throat and looked at Regina.

"Do you still want your revenge?"

"Sorry?" She was sure she had misheard.

"Your revenge? Will you go after Mary Margaret?"

"I have gone 28 years without harming her." The Mayor stated matter of factly. _'I had no need to...I had a new identity here.'_

"That's true...I am sorry, I am still in shock." Emma went back to pacing.

"You know I am still the same woman as I was before." Regina tried to plead.

"Well except you are the Evil Queen." Emma said it so flippantly that it made Regina walk right up to her. Stopping the blonde in her tracks.

"That is the reason I wanted to leave! I am not evil! I was hurt and I acted out. I had no one. I was branded evil, wicked." Regina wanted her voice to sound strong and convincing but the reminders of her time in that land came back all too easily making it hard to talk, hard to even breathe. Tears danced in her eyes threatening to fall.

"No one cares if an evil queen dies, or if she hurts. No...one...cares. How would you feel surrounded in a world where everyone is spouting on about happily ever afters and true love and you were heartbroken and alone. I wanted to change that. I wanted to win...for once."

She covered her face as she broke down into tears. Emma watched as the Mayor sobbed uncontrollably. She had sounded completely sincere and the cracks in her voice made Emma tear up.

She took Regina's hand in hers and wiped a tear with the pad of her thumb. "Regina, what did Mary Margaret do?" _'I need to know.'_

"She told a secret, I begged her to keep. It cost Daniel his life."

"Who was Daniel?" Emma asked in a soft voice.

"He was my fiance...but I was set to marry the King. And when Daniel died I was forced into that marriage."

"The King as in?"

"Your grandfather...King Leopold. He was the evil one."

_'My grandfather was evil.'_

"How?"

"He just wanted a wife, someone to replace his last." Regina looked down not wanting to think of that man.

"Was it bad?"

"I married him against my free will. My mother accepted his proposal. Said it would get me power, a crown, get me in my rightful place...but he did many things against my free will." Her voice cracked and she saw the realisation in Emma's eyes. _'His grand-daughter turned out so much better without that family.'_

"I uh, I grew to resent her, Snow...she was the reason I was trapped. I am sorry it got so out of hand Emma, I am." Her words bore truth and sincerity and Emma believed them.

"I know you are."

"People are gonna come for me, they are gonna kill me." Her fear sounded through her words. She announced it like a death sentence she knew was coming.

"Then are gonna have to go through me." Emma stated.

"What?" The smile on the the Mayor's face was hopeful, making Emma smile back at her softly.

"I am not gonna let them hurt you. I promise you that." She held Regina's shoulders.

"I can't let you do that. I can't let them hurt you."

"And I am not losing my true love without a fight."

**To be continued.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21.**

*A few hours earlier*

Mary Margaret was getting worried. She hadn't heard from her roommate all night. If there hadn't been a storm she would have been out searching for her. When night came and there was still no sign she began to fear that something bad had happened. She hadn't slept all night.

She wanted to call David to talk to him but she knew Katherine could answer. "I hope she is okay." Mary Margaret muttered to herself. She was just about drifting to sleep as she heard birds chirp outside her window.

An invisable wave pushed her backward. In an instant she had all memories of her old life.

She ran downstairs to wake up Henry. He awoke slowly and rubbed his eyes."Miss Blanchard?"

"It's Snow actually."

Henry jumped up from his mother's bed to look into the woman's eyes. "You remember?"

"Everything."

He beamed at her and pulled her into a hug. "Hi Grandma." She grimaced at the name but teared up as she held him close. "We have to find...Emma, my daughter...we have to find her."

"We will." He assured and got up. "Quick let's get dressed. If the curse broke then we have to see if everyone remembers." He ran to put on his jumper.

They had just made it downtown when Snow was lifted off her feet and into a giant hug. "SNOW!" Red yelled as she spun her in her arms. "It's...we're...it's you!" They both laughed happily. When Red put her down she messed up her hair. "It's you."

"Have you seen David?"

David woke up with a jump when Abigal screamed. "Friedrick! I have to find him!" She rolled out of bed and shook his head. "Snow White...Emma!" He and Abigal said their awkward goodbyes to one another and ran off in search of their true loves.

He was downtown and smiled widely when he saw her hugging Red. "SNOW!" He ran across the street to kiss her. "We need to find Emma."

"We will, any idea how the curse broke?"

"I have no idea."

Mr Gold felt the change, the shift and knew he needed to get magic back. He went in search of an old friend who he knew would help. He and Jefferson went underground in the library to retrieve what he needed.

None of the town members heard Malificent get killed, and none suspected that Mr. Gold would do what he did; Bring magic back to them.

People were reuniting with their loved ones, their old friends when the cloud of purple smoke engulfed their town.

A short while after the smoke had cleared, Dr Whale gatthered as many people as he could. He wanted vengence, wanted to make the Queen pay for what she did. It turned out he was alone in his thoughts. Soon a group of ten people were on their way to the Queen. On their way more people joined. Soon a large mob was forming and on their way to 108 Mifflin street.

Archie had heard the mob chanting "Kill the Queen! Kill the Queen." He had run as fast as he could to find Snow White. He knew she would see his reasoning.

He found Snow, Charming, Henry, Red, Granny, Abigal, Friedrick and the seven dwarfs standing in the centre of town.

"It's Whale, he's whipped everyone into a frenzy. They are going to kill Regina."

"So let them." David said wanting to do the same, Grumpy agreed with him. Henry felt a lump in his throat. "Grandpa...please, she is my mom."

Snow stared down her husband for making their grandson sad.

"Exactly. We can't let them kill her." Snow bent down in front of Henry. "We won't let them kill her."

"Regina has changed, she is not the 'Evil Queen', she was my best friend." Abigal said almost fuming at David. "And we aren't gonna let them kill her."

"Well we better hurry, that mob is on their way to her." Archie pointed out.

"Crap." Snow grabbed Henry's hand and took off after them with everyone else in tow.

"I am not wearing the right shoes for this!" Red yelled as they ran up the hill to the Mayoral Mansion.

"Hey isn't that Emma's car?" Red asked as they reached the house. Snow furrowed her brow. "Yes...it is, why is she here?"

"Did you know she was here?" David asked her. She shook her head. "No."

Abigal burst into laughter. "What is so funny?" Granny asked in a huff and out of breathe. She couldn't calm herself to tell them. _'Oh god, Regina. Focus...I can't.'_

"I am ignoring you." Granny informed her as the rest made it down the Mayor's driveway. Trying to stop the others from bashing down the front door.

"GET OUT HERE REGINA!"

"BASH THE DOORS DOWN!"

Snow and the others were forced back by the crowds as they managed to crash down the front door. The mob made their way into the house. They collectively searched each room.

"She isn't here!" One member of the mob announced. Henry sighed with relief. Whale noticed the basement door closed. He opened it and smirked when he heard Regina whisper down below.

"She is down here!" He yelled. Snow, Henry and David ran to the door with the crowd behind them.

Regina was quickly buttoning up her shirt and Emma was trying to get hers over her head. Everyone came down the stairs to find Emma standing in front of their Queen.

Items of their clothing like bras and blazers thrown around the room. "Emma?" Snow asked hoping her eyes were lying to her.

"Hi mom." Emma said with a sad smile as she tilted her head.

"Enough! Move! We aren't here for you! We are here for her!" Whale yelled as her shoved Snow out of the way and pointed to Regina who was holding onto Emma's hip as she stood behind her.

Emma moved over and in a swift motion had Whale up against the wall. Her arm pinning down his neck. She snarled down at him. "You are not hurting my girlfriend."

"YOUR WHAT?!"

**To be continued.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22.**

"YOUR WHAT?!"

It echoed loudly everyone in the vicinity had heard it.

Emma realised what she had said. She dropped Whale. He fell to the floor clutching his neck. Everyone was staring at her with wide eyes except Regina who was smiling at her.

Snow shook her head. _'No no no no no no.' _ David growled. _'She has corrupted my daughter, spells, hex something. Emma isn't even gay.' _Abigal smirked and jumped happily on the balls of her feet. _'Knew you would get her, I knew it!' _Red smiled to herself _'Cindy owes me 50 bucks.' _Cinderella groaned. _'I owe Red 50 bucks.' _Granny rolled her eyes. _'Why is no one doing anything.' _Grumpy licked his lips. _'She is Snow's little girl stop thinking that.' _Archie stuck out his bottom lip. _'That would explain a lot.' _Whale clutched his neck. _'Lesbian is fucking strong.'_

"Not the best way to see my mom and dad for the first time..." Emma stated as she looked at her mother. She smiled and winced waiting for the backlash.

Snow ran towards her and crushed her in a hug. "You are perfect." She was crying as she hugged her daughter close to her. David joined in on the hug but stepped back soon after. "Your girlfriend?" He questioned.

"Yes." Snow stepped back and looked at her horrified. She held her hand over her mouth as her eyes made their way to the clothes on the floor.

"Did you sleep with her?"

Loud gasps tore through the crowd. All the men stared at the two women. Ruby smirked. _'Proud of you Regina and kinda jealous of Emma...'_

"I would rather not discuss this here, in front of everyone." Emma blushed and hid her bra under the pool table. Regina blushed darkly at the public humiliation. She looked up and saw Abigal give her a thumbs up and couldn't help but smirk.

"Did you take advantage of my daughter?" David asked as her trapped the former Queen against the bar. Emma pushed his shoulder back.

"I was the one who intiated it." Her parents spun to look at her with wide eyes. "I wanted to be with her. I still do."

"She has you under a spell honey she is an evil witch." Snow reasoned. _'That must be it. Why my little girl would...no don't think about it.'_

Abigal snarled at her old enemy as Friedrick held her back.

Regina rolled her eyes. "I have no magic here...Look." Regina flicked her wrist towards the mob forming at the top of the stairs. They all flinched but nothing happened.

"That doesn't prove anything. She is still evil." David stated pointing at Regina. Emma moved in front of her girlfriend making the mayor smile to herself.

_'I have never had this...someone willingly protect me...well maybe Sidney...'_

"Davi-dad, she could have hurt you all for 28 years, she did nothing." Regina squeezed Emma's hips from behind her.

"I was in a coma!" He yelled. Snow took his arm to calm him.

"That was not my fault." Regina defended but didn't add anything knowing it was _her_ henchmen who did the fatal stab that led to his slumber.

"Emma honey, she tried to kill us, me for years." Snow said to her wanting her to see things her way. She threw a look of disgust at Regina as she pulled Emma over to her. "She trapped us all here. Honey please." Snow held her daughter's shoulders.

"She has changed. She is good. I believe it." Emma walked back to Regina and snaked her arm around her. The Mayor looked at her and smiled proudly.

Ruby and Abigal smiled at how cute they were but they seemed to be the only ones.

Snow looked disgusted. "She is your grandmother." She hissed at Emma. Regina scowled at her. "Step grandmother!"

"Still!" Snow was getting angry, her blood was boiling. Regina stepped out from behind Emma. Ready to fight her own battle.

"Snow, I was married to your wretched father for 7 years, I am not your mother. I never was." She said it as calmly as she could.

"You killed him!" Snow accused getting close to her poking Regina's chest.

"No, I didn't! Sidney did, granted he did it to save me but I didn't tell him to. He saw how _he _treated me and tried to set me free." The Mayor reasoned. All of it was true. She never killed the King. She never even told Sidney to do it. She looked over and saw him hide in the crowd. Snow grabbed her face squashing her lips.

"Set you free? Set you free? My father was a loving man!" Emma pushed her mother off.

"To you!" Regina practically screamed as tears welled in her eyes. Emma took her hand in hers.

Henry pushed his way to the front. "Mom, Emma...what is going on?"

"Kid, your mom and I are well, um."

"Your mom has done something to Emma. We just don't know what." David told him. Both women stared at him. "She has done nothing to me."

"Your moms are fucking." Grumpy told him flat out.

"LEROY!" Emma yelled at what he had told her son. Regina covered her face at the embarrassment of it all.

"What?!" Henry looked at the two of them and scrunched his face. "You two...are together?"

"Um, yeah kid..." Emma grimaced. _'So much for keeping that quiet from him.' _

"Ew." He looked sick. Emma shook her head. "Thanks kid."

"Irregardless of how hot this new development may be! The Queen must suffer!" Whale announced and several others agreed with him.

"You can't kill her!" Abigal yelled at everyone. "Emma is right. She has changed."

Charming held onto Snow who cleared her throat. "Then we arrest her."

"What no! You can't." Emma pleaded. She held her lover's hand who looked at her with tears in her eyes. "It may be for the best Emma."

"No! I am not leaving you." Emma squeezed her hand and Regina pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

Snow looked like she was about to faint. David clenched his fists. Henry furrowed his brow. Whale, Archie and the dwarves leered at them. Ruby licked her lips and Abigal smiled on at her friend finally getting her girl.

They had barely pulled apart when Regina walked over to Snow and held out her hands. She looked back at Emma. "Don't worry. It is for my safety too."

She leaned down and kissed the top of her son's head. "I love you Henry. Keep _your _mom safe."

He nodded and teared up too. _'I love you too mom.'_

She couldn't look back at Emma again.

David saw Emma about to stop Regina and he reached out and held his daughter firmly in place. "Take Regina to the jail." He ordered to the former dwarfs. He threw a pair of cuffs at them. Regina barely resisted as they led her out of the room. The crowd followed them making sure she was locked up.

Emma squirmed in her dad's arms. "What are you doing?! Let me go!"

"It will be okay honey." He assured her.

"You locked up my girlfriend, let me go."

**To be continued**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23.**

"You locked up my girlfriend, let me go."

Emma managed to wrangle free. "You have no right. I am the Sheriff of this town. You can't arrest her." She clenched her fists trying to calm herself down as she fumed.

She picked up her spare clothes off the floor trying to distract herself. Henry, Snow and David averted their gazes feeling awkward. "Emma, my mom is safer locked up." Henry told her. She turned to give him an incredulous look. _'How...after all she has done for you.' _He noticed her look and amended. "For her safety."

Emma sighed. She knew a part of it was right. She would be protected from a mob. The bars in the cell working more to keep people out than keep her in.

"I guess maybe you have a point." She muttered and looked at her clothes she had been wearing.

"I need to get her a change of clothes." She thought out loud. _'And a new pair of panties.' _The Sheriff smirked to herself at how things had conspired earlier that morning.

The others furrowed their brows, neither knew how to act. The curse had broken, it was huge news, but somehow Emma being with Regina was bigger news.

XxXxX

Regina was pushed into the cell in the Sheriff's station by one of the dwarves. She clenched her jaw. "Watch it Dopey." She snarled barely listening when he corrected. "I am Sneezy." The cell door slammed shut loudly.

She sat on the bed despondently and ignored the looks from the small crowd.

"How does it feel your majesty?" Grumpy teased. "Being impotent?"

"You would know more about that than me." Regina stared him down. She watched as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I am gonna kill you witch."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Get in line." _'I hope Emma and Henry come by and make them go.'_

XxXxX

"Emma we need to talk. Like I know we talked before but that wasn't mother daughter stuff, like one night stands and the like." Snow shook the thought of her foray into single life out of her mind.

"One night stands?" David asked feeling disgusted. Snow spun around and stared him down

"We were cursed, besides you slept with that golden girl." Snow practically spat out hating Regina even more for the curse.

"Golden girl? You and Bea Arthur get down." Sarcasm dripped from Emma's lips making her parents scowl at her.

"Abigal; Katherine, her father is King Midas."

"As in the golden touch King Midas?"

"Yes." David put his hand on his wife's shoulder in an act to calm her.

"Should be weird but my mom is Snow White." Emma said dryly.

"This is cool, Emma. Your mom, my grandmother is a Disney princess." He was excited. _'I knew I was right.'_

"I always preferred Beauty and the Beast."

"Figures." David rolled his eyes. Emma's nostrils flared. _'Did he call her a beast.'_

"What is that suppose to mean?!"

"Not now, we just got her back." Snow spoke to her husband. He nodded in agreement. Emma moved out of the basement and made her way to the foyer. The others followed suit. Henry cleared his throat and spoke.

"What broke the curse?" The question made the blonde spin on her heels.

"Huh? What?"

"The curse how did it break?" She broke into a satisfying grin and looked at her parents. _'If Walt Disney was correct, they should know.'_

"It was Regina's curse. Only one thing breaks a curse, you two should know that more than anyone."

"True love's kiss?" Snow said in shock. She scrunched her face. "But...it can't."

"Yes, true love. Not a spell, not manipulated. It is a true love." Emma smiled triumphantly. Henry looked as confused as Snow.

"You love my mom?"

"Yes kid, more than I thought I would." She answered honestly.

"So will you two be together?"

"Once we can get her free, if you would be okay with that."

"I am." He broke out into a sheepish smile. She smiled widely back at him. Proud that he was her son. _'She did an amazing job raising him.'_ She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I love you kid." Emma pulled him in for a hug and noticed her parents from over his shoulder. Snow raised her hand to cover her tear stained face.

"I am sorry Emma, I can't...I need time." She left through the front door and ran off down the driveway. David chased after her. "Snow?"

Emma sighed. _'It is the Regina of it all not the gay thing. I hope she will come back...I just found her I don't want to lose my mom again but first I need to get to Regina. She needs me more right now.'_

"Um, kid can you wait in your room, I have to get changed and then we can see your mom." He nodded and walked up the stairs. She walked up behind him making her way to Regina's room.

"Sure, and Emma?" She turned to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"Snow will come around."

Emma smiled proudly and stepped into Regina's room. She made her way to the large closet and ran her fingers over the materials. She pulled out slacks and a shirt of herself and a pair of Regina's panties. She smirked to herself as she looked through the drawer. _'She does have a lot of silk.' _Her fingers hit a hard object under some of the flimsy material. _'Oh god! That is...focus...she told you she has sex toys...maybe she can show you how they work. Mmm, no, I have to focus. Get ready and then go see her.' _

Emma took out a black silk bra and underwear set. She went back to the wardrobe and pulled out black slacks and the silk shirt she had once borrowed from her.

_'Okay, clothes down. Now I need to get her essentials._

She got changed and went to the en-suite bathroom to check herself in the mirror after tucking in her shirt she looked around for some stuff to bring Regina. She found a set of new toothbrushes in a cabinet. She put one aside for Regina and used the other to brush her own teeth. She took a hairbrush and brushed her own wavy hair.

_'What else will she need? Perfume, deodorant, oh maybe lipstick.' _Emma put all the stuff in a bag and with Henry headed down to see Regina.

Unbeknownst to her, she wasn't the only one. Mr. Gold strutted into the Sheriff station. He pushed past the large crowd.

"LEAVE!" He bellowed. A few ran out the door but most stayed.

"And what if we don't." Grumpy challenged. Gold flicked his wrist and sent Grumpy flying through the air and into a filing cabinet. "Who is next?"

Everyone rushed out of the building. "Thank you for that. They were getting bothersome."

Gold clenched his jaw and hobbled over to her. "Why didn't you do it."

"I.." She looked down feeling ashamed. "I can't."

He smirked "Magic is different here dearie."

"Why are you here? To kill me like the rest? Go ahead." She called his bluff.

"No, no. You are safe from me."

"I feel so relieved."

"I made a promise to someone, that I wouldn't kill you."

"Who could that from you?"

"Belle." He growled.

"She's alive?" She acted innocent but knew he could see right through her.

"You are a dreadful liar."

"I could have killed her but I didn't."

"No you just made her rot in a cell, your old friend Jefferson showed me where to find her though. You made me think she was dead. Kept her alive so you could kill her when it suited you. A fate worse than death which incidently...is exactly what I have in store for you."

He grabbed her hand and pulled it through the bars of her cell. Her body tensed up. She felt a cold metal shoved into her palm. Panic began to set over her. She had seen that before. The gold coin shaped tailsman.

"Is that?" Her heartbeat picked up.

"Yes dearie, the one thing no one can escape. Destiny. And I promise your's is particularly unpleasant."

She pulled her hand back and felt it burn.

**To be continued.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24.**

Regina stared down at her hand. A large red blister formed on it in an ancient rune shape. She knew exactly what Rumple had done. He had served her something worse than a death sentence. _'It is all my fault. I had to hide Belle from him. She never deserved to be a pawn in our fight. But I did it. I guess I deserve this. Ugh. But why now.'_

She teared up as she thought of Emma. _'I almost had it all. True love, family, power...everything I ever wanted from the land and now it is gonna be ripped away. I am gonna be ripped away. I read about wraiths. They suck out your soul. Trap you in a limbo between life and death. I suppose it is what I deserve.'_

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and halted when she smelled Emma's perfume on her shirt. It made her cry more. She slumped back feeling defeated. _'I need to see her at least one last time. If I am gonna die. I need to kiss her even if it is for my last time.'_

XxXxX

Snow and David were on their way home. Feeling defeated. They had lost their daughter before they even found her.

"She hates us." Snow stated and began to cry again. "Our daughter hates us." Charming wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they walked "She doesn't hate us. She just doesn't...like us." His words made Snow cry more.

"Did you know she was even gay?" He looked down at his wife. "Yes...she told me, y-you aren't offended by it, are you?" She wiped her eyes with her hands.

"No...no. Did you know Regina was?" She raised her eyebrows and thought back. "She was engaged to Daniel...he was a guy but I do remember her always looking at this blonde chef we had...thought it was weird at the time. This whole thing is weird. She was my mom for my teen years."

"And now she is dating our daughter." He felt a shiver run down his spine as he thought about the woman that had kept him captive, poisoned his wife was now with his little girl.

"Do you think that was part of her revenge?" He asked more out loud than to Snow.

"What? No...their kiss had to be one of true love in order to break a curse like this one." She sighed at what she admitted.

"That wasn't all they did. Did you see Emma's neck? It was covered in love bites."

"I would rather not think about it." He held her close to him. A fierce gust of wind almost lifted her off her feet.

"I guess the storm is coming back." She mused. They made it downtown and saw Mr. Gold usher Belle into his shop.

"Who is that with Rumple?" David asked. He sensed trouble and led his wife over to the older man. He stood by the door of his shop not letting them see anymore of Belle.

"Snow, Prince Charming, to what do I owe this pleasure." They rolled their eyes at his sarcastic voice.

"Who is the girl?" Snow asked softly.

"A friend from our land, one whom I haven't seen for a while."

"What are you plotting, are you making her sign something over to you?" David accused. The loudness of his voice made Belle want to investigate.

"Rumple, who are they?"

"No one dear, go back inside. And...I suggest you two do the same." He opened the door to head in. A bulb from a street lamp exploded and a howling could be heard.

"What was that?"

"Let's just say I am gonna help you get rid of your pesky step mother." He stepped inside his shop.

"What?" The Charmings looked at him confused, wanting answers. He shrugged and slammed the door in their faces.

"Goodbye." He laughed to himself from behind the door.

They looked at each other worried and Snow realised "Emma."

"What about her?"

"She is gonna try to save her girlfriend." Snow closed her eyes and sighed and ran off in direction of the Sheriff's station. David ran after her.

"How do you know?" He caught up and pulled open the door for her.

"Because she is my daughter."

XxXxX

Emma was walking down main street with Henry when bulbs started blowing up and smashing to pieces around her.

"What the hell was that?"

"Magic?" Henry guessed. _'This is scary. It is like that film Graham let me watch with him.'_

The closer they got to the station the worse it got. The wind was slowing them down as they walked. Emma hesitated. "Kid, I need to get you somewhere safe."

"I wanna see my mom." She hugged him and whispered.

"I know, and you will but for now can you go to Granny's." He reluctantly nodded.

"Okay..." She led him to the door of the diner then took off running towards her station. _'Now he is safe I need to make sure she is.'_

She ran through the doors and saw her parents looking up at the lights flickering on and off in the hall.

"What is happening?" She asked them as she ran to her office.

"I have no idea." Snow told her honestly. They walked in to find a cloaked figure sucking the life out of a helpless Regina.

"NO!" Emma ran forward but David made the first move. He swung a chair at the figure making it turn around. Regina fell to her knees gasping for air while the wraith flung David back like Grumpy was thrown earlier that day.

The creature turned his attention back on Regina. Snow looked to her daughter and saw she was gonna do something too. _'I am not losing her over this thing.' _Snow grabbed some hairspray out of her purse and a lighter and made a make shift fire thrower and pointed it at the creature.

It fled out a window. Regina was on her knees coughing loudly. Emma sprinted over to her and helped her up."What the hell was that thing?"

"A wraith...A soul sucker." Regina clutched onto Emma who held her upright. Emma could feel Regina's body shake against hers. She rubbed her back softly in a hope to calm her nerves. A lump formed in her throat. _'I came so close to losing you.' _She rested held onto Regina.

The Mayor almost collapsed in Emma's arms.

"Did I..."

"Kill it? No. It's regiterating. It doesn't stop til it devours it's prey..." She showed them her marked hand. "Me..."

Emma looked down at Regina's hand. She held it in her own inspecting it and trying to get past the news. "So how do we kill it?"

"There is no way. You can't kill something that's already dead." She looked into Emma's eyes as teared up. "I don't want to die."

"You aren't going to. No. You can't give up like this." Emma growled. Her nostrils flared and her cheeks were tear stained. Her voice came out like a whimper. "I can't lose you."

Regina began to cry and she pulled Emma close so she could hug her.

Snow watched her daughter in pain and felt her stomach churn. _'No matter how I feel about Regina, her death is gonna do nothing but break my daughter.'_

"We will help."

"We will?" David asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, we will." Snow stared him down. He relented. Emma cupped Regina's face in her hands. "We can't kill it but think what can we do. There has to be something." Emma leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Please, I am not losing you."

_'We could put a sleeping curse on it...that is stupid, maybe banish it. Yes! that could work.'_

"We could, uh, send it to our land." She suggested looking down at Emma's arms.

"It exists?" David asked sounding hopeful

"No but sending it somewhere that doesn't exist would be banishing it to oblivion." Emma kissed her lips soft and slow not noticing her parents grimace at the sight.

"You are so clever, how do we do that." Emma held onto Regina's hips.

"With some magic."

**To be continued.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25.**

Emma held asked her parents to go, to give her some alone time with Regina before they tackled the wraith again. They reluctantly left her alone in the station.

Emma took Regina's marked palm in her hands and delicately traced her finger over the pattern. They both looked down at the action, the soft movement. "Does it hurt, your hand?" Her voice was filled with concern making Regina's eyes shoot up to meet hers.

"It is not that bad."

"You scared me so much." Emma held Regina's face. "When I saw that...that thing sucking out your...it...I don't want to lose you." The Mayor rested her forehead against Emma's. "I don't wanna be lost again." Emma tried to hold back the tears. Her throat ached feeling like shards around her neck.

"Who did this Regina?" Regina looked away. "Regina, tell me."

"Rumple...Mr. Gold." She relented. She saw Emma clench her fists tightly.

"I am gonna kill him."

"No, you are not!" Regina protested feeling panick wash over her body.

"He hurt you! Sent an unkillable monster after you. I am not letting him get away with that." Emma's felt her blood boil, she wanted to wrap her hands around the man's neck and squeeze all the life out of him. Her nostrils flared and her cheeks burned a dark red.

"Emma..." Regina was scared, she had never seen that furious look on Emma's face. Although she liked the fact that someone was being protective over her she had to be realistic. Rumple would do the same to Emma or much worse if she tried to go against him. She knew she needed to calm the other woman. She placed her hand on her shoulder. "I know I told you it was good to have him as an enemy but in reality it is incredibly stupid."

"He hurts who I love, I hurt him." Emma blurted out. Regina just blinked at her. Her face reading nothing but stunned.

"Who you love?" She asked as her lips slowly curved upwards into a soft smile.

"I, uh...yes." Emma admitted, she gave a lopsidded smile and looked down at her feet. Regina used her index finger to tilt Emma's head upwards. She leaned impossibly close and their lips barely touched in a soft kiss.

"We should...start with the preparations for the wraith returning." They wanted to kiss deeper, harder than the tension but the tension itself was so delicious that they were enjoying it too much.

"Uh huh, but first I need to get you out of these clothes." Emma spoke her voice a tone lower than her usual. The Mayor's eyebrow arched up and she smirked at the blonde.

"Oh really Miss Swan?" She dragged her lips over Emma's neck and kissed the soft skin making Emma groan. Her teeth grazed Emma's neck making her place her hands on Regina's shoulders in a weak effort to stop her.

"I don't think we would have the time." Regina moved her lips down to her pulse point. She smirked into her skin as she felt Emma grip her shoulders in place.

"If memory serves correct I made you cum in less than eight minutes the last time." Emma blushed bright red and Regina began sucking lightly as she held Emma's hips,

"Oh god, I-I...bag...clothes." Regina stopped and Emma buried her face in her shoulder. She pointed to the back by the door unable to speak out as she tried to calm herself.

"You brought me clothes?"

"Yes"

"You are the best." Regina sauntered over to pick up the bag. She pulled out the clothes and looked at the items Emma had brought. "You must like me in black silk, Miss Swan." Emma bashfully covered her mouth and nodded. She strutted over to the brunette and began unbuttoning her shirt for her.

"Now lets get you out of these."

They smirked at each other as Emma removed her shirt and tossed it to the floor. The mayor was braless, her other one somewhere behind the bar in the basement of 108 Mifflin Street.

"You are insanely beautiful. But we should save this for after we defeat that thing."

Emma handed her, her black bra and witheld the shirt by holding it behind her. Regina reached out to snatch it but failed. "I just need to take in this image a little longer." Regina spun around with her hands up and then snatched the shirt off her. She buttoned it up and started to remove her slacks. "My panties?"

Emma smirked and closed the distance between them and hooked her thumbs into the sides of Regina's panties and pulled them down. The Mayor stepped out of them and let out a slight yelp as Emma gripped her ass.

"You have an amazing ass Madame Mayor."

"Is that so Miss Swan." Emma nodded and helped her into a new pair of panties. Emma kissed her jaw softly. Regina just had to put on her trousers when she heard a loud noise behind her. She turned to find Henry standing by the door.

"What are you doing?" He tilted his head and Regina quickly put on her trousers feeling embarassed.

"How long have you been standing there?" She questioned.

"I just got here...are you okay Mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Can I talk to you...in private?" She asked the last part to Emma hoping she would take the hint. It took a few seconds for the Sheriff to catch on but when she did she practically jumped.

"Oh sorry, yeah, I will be in my office...over there." Emma pointed at her office and started to approach it. Regina waited until she was out of earshot to speak to her son. She bent down to be at eye level with him.

"Henry, something is after me...it could be serious. I don't want to worry you but I can't go against it without saying goodbye to you...in case..." Her voice cracked and she sighed, she was trying really hard to be strong for him.

"No...you can't say goodbye." He shook his head and looked away.

"Henry..." Regina pleaded.

"No!" He spat back with tears forming in his eyes.

"Henry, please." She grabbed his hands and held them in her own.

"You are the Queen, you have powers, whatever is after you. You can fight it." He told her, defiant to hear that his mother would die, could die.

"I am gonna try sweetheart. I am. I promise." She tried to assure him. He wiped the corners of his eyes and asked in a low whisper.

"What if you die?"

Regina closed her eyes briefly and watched as her eyes watered more. She clenched her jaw tightly.

"Then Emma will take care of you. And you have to promise that if something happens you will be good to her." He pulled her close for a hug. She smiled.

"I promise, please don't die."

"I will try."

Emma moved out from her office and slowly approached them.

"Kid, I will keep her safe." She assured her son and he grabbed her hand and pulled her close for a group hug.

"This is nice...all of us together." He sighed.

"It is." Emma agreed and looked at Regina.

"We need to make sure Henry is safe."

"Of course." He looked at the two women and added.

"I can fight."

"No! Go back to the diner. We will meet you when we are done." Emma demanded.

"Both of you?" They both knew what he was asking but neither knew if they could give him an honest answer. Regina eventually gave him a curt nod. He took off after giving one last goodbye.

Regina sighed, a feeling of dread washing over her. Emma placed her hand on her shoulder. "We are gonna defeat this, for him...our son."

Emma offered her her hand. "Together?" Regina smiled and held it. "Together." She confirmed.

**To be continued.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26.**

Regina and Emma walked hand in hand to her office. Emma tried to push back the niggling thought that this could be the last time they ever do that. The last time she would hold the hand of Regina Mill's in hers. She exhaled slowly trying desperately to compose herself. She turned her head and took in the woman beside her.

The way her hair bounced on her shoulders as she walked, the almost strut she had to her walk, how she held her chin up high as she walked, the steely look in her eyes as she looked straight ahead.

_'It is impossible for someone to be that beautiful in the face of danger. And yet she is beautifully strong.'_

"You look like you are away with your thoughts, dear." Regina commented giving her a sideways glance. Emma squeezed her hand. "Are you not scared?"

Regina let out a humorless laugh "More than anything. I have true love and a wonderful son who loves me and I really don't want to die after only having both for a mere day." Emma gave her a weak smile. "We will defeat it." Regina sighed as she looked at the worry plague the blonde's face.

"Tell that to your face." They made it to the City Hall. Emma opened the door for her. She walked through and Emma followed up the steps to the Mayor's office."I just can't wait until this day is over. I need a much needed rest...with my girl beside me."

"Your girl?" The two women spun around to see Snow and Charming standing there holding brooms in their hands.

"You are actually gonna help?" Emma asked hopeful but completely unsure whether that was the reason they were standing before her. She knew her parents would rather it kill Regina. Regina noticed the items in their hands and wondered if a new mob had formed. _'Pitchforks and torches have been done to death.'_

Snow elbowed David to answer for them. He jumped.

"We are here to help you...and...your girl..." He shuffled his foot awkwardly. Emma's face broke into a smile. "And the brooms?"

"Use them as torches...for the wraith. It didn't seem to like fire the last time." Emma nodded in agreement of that. There was an awkward pause where neither knew what to say. Emma coughed and Snow broke the silence.

"So how do we get the wraith back to our land?" She asked Regina directly who clenched her jaw and pursed her lips.

"With a portal...I may have one." Regina walked off in the direction of her office. Emma followed closely behind her. Snow and David looked at each other and rolled their eyes at the women. They huffed and trailed behind them.

"I guess we are following you!"

They walked into her office as she placed an antique hat box on the desk and pulled out a top hat delicately. Emma smirked at the hat in her girlfriend's hands.

"Do you ever wear this?"

"Well it does go with every ensemble."

The Charmings rolled their eyes. Snow tried to resist the urge to gag and instead interupted the cute banter. "How is a hat going to help?"

"It works as a portal. I just need to..." The lights of the building flickered on and off in the same fashion they had done in the Sheriff's station.

"Looks like we have company." David commented. He began pouring lighter fluid over the end of his broom. Snow copied him and Emma ran her hand over Regina's bicep. They looked into each other's eyes. "Are you ready?" Regina asked her knowing the wraith was getting closer. "Yes, lets fight this...what?" She noticed Regina furrow her brow. She sighed and crashed their lips together. Emma clutched the front of Regina's shirt in her fists.

Snow looked over and almost screamed in outrage of the image of her grown daughter kissing her enemy. She tried to calm herself. She noticed a very faint purple aura surround them as they kissed.

"GIRLS!" She yelled, the action got the attention of the two women. They looked over. "The wraith is close. Focus."

Emma kissed Regina one more time. "Yes...sorry." She let go off her shirt and both blushed staring at each other. Snow huffed in annoyance. "The wraith." She reminded them.

They both shook of the desire stirring within each of them. Regina placed the hat in the centre of the room. She spun it as the double doors to her office flung open.

Snow and David lit their brooms and moved in front of the wraith. They managed to hold it off.

Regina spun the hat but nothing happened. "Can you open the portal already?!" David bellowed back finding the wraith become some what immune to the fire.

"I am trying!" Regina yelled. Her fingers trembled. _'Why is this not working?!' _"Magic is different here."

Snow looked back, seeing the pain across her daughter's face she had a flash of something Regina had once told her. "True love is magic." She looked back at her daughter who was standing over Regina in a protective stance.

"KISS HER!" Snow yelled back. David managed to push the wraith back a bit. "JUST DO IT! SPIN THE HAT!" Emma leaned down and kissed Regina softly as she spun the hat.

A whirling portal appeared on the floor. "WATCH OUT!" David yelled. Regina was still feeling the effects of the kiss when Emma shoved her out of the way of an incoming wraith. Regina looked over to see the wraith fall into the portal.

It reached out and in one last act against her it grabbed onto Emma's leg. With a flash she was gone down the swirling hole in the floor.

"EMMA!" Regina screamed loudly. She jumped in after her without a second thought. "I am not losing her again!" Snow dove in after them. The portal closed just as David tried. He lay face first on the floor of the Mayor's office. He stood up to see a crumpled hat that had been under him. He angerly kicked a chair across the room.

Henry ran into the office. "Ruby said whatever was after mom must be gone. The storm is gone...grandpa what's wrong?"

David looked at him with tears in his eyes, unsure how to answer that.

"Where are my mom and Emma?" He asked with a quiver in his voice. David gulped and put his hand on Henry's shoulder.

"Kid..." He started but he couldn't continue. Henry's eyes filled with tears and he shook his head in disbelief. He whispered as a tear fell down his face. "They promised."

**To be continued.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27.**

Regina, Emma and Snow lay asleep under debris of broken tiles when a warrior and her princess woke one of them up sharply.

"Aurora, get me the rope!" Mulan ordered after finding them in their unconscious state. Regina looked around, the warrior hadn't noticed she was awake yet. She remembered the wraith and Emma falling through the portal, she turned to see Emma lying asleep next to her and on her other side Snow White lay asleep too.

She rubbed Emma's leg in a rough movement. "Swan, wake up." Emma groaned and turned her head. Mulan noticed Regina's movements and in a swift move she was on top of her pinning her down to the ground.

Regina struggled beneath her. She couldn't move.

"I am taken dear." She sniped back at Mulan who rolled her eyes. Regina tried to get free. "Look you better get out of here. There is something after me." She tried to show Mulan her marked hand. She opened her palm. "See."

Mulan looked at her like she was insane. "All I see is your palm." Regina scrunched her brow and twisted her neck to look at her unmarked hand. "How?"

_'This is impossible, I would still be marked in this world. Unless...'_

"I have no idea what you are asking me."

Emma opened her eyes and though she was completely confused she noticed some woman forcing her girlfriend to the ground.

She charged into Mulan crashing her to the floor. Aurora screamed in the background. "Get off her!" Emma got up and pulled Regina to her feet. She looked her over. "Are you okay babe?"

"Yes." Regina broke into a smile at the pet name. Emma pulled her into a hug as Mulan lay on the ground in pain. Emma looked over at her unconscious mother and then she remembered why they were there.

"Where is the wraith?" She asked Regina looking around her at the surroundings. Aurora ran toward her. "How do you know about the wraith?"

"She was marked by it." The blonde explained as she looked up expecting it to swoop down at any moment. Regina rubbed her bicep and showed her, her palm."

"But it is gone...my mark."

"What?" Emma took Regina's hand in her own and examined the hand. There wasn't even a trace of the burned skin that was there before. Emma was too engrossed in Regina to notice that Aurora was turning a dark shade of red.

"You did this, you killed Phillip!"

"Aurora, relax. I will deal with this." She threw a large heavy black object at Regina's back. Regina began falling slowly forward. Emma slide onto her knees to catch her from smashing into the ground. "WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!"

"It has just knocked her out, I can assure you your friend is fine. She is just knocked out. Now you and your unconscious friends can come with us."

"Or?" Emma asked as she ran her fingers through the Mayors hair.

"Or I will do worst that knock them out blondie."

Emma gritted her teeth and carried Regina in her arms and placed her in a cart they had attached to the end of their horses. She kissed her forehead then moved over to her mother.

"Mary Margaret." She shook her. Snow groaned and clutched her head. "Emma? Where are we?" She noticed the look of fear in her daughter's eyes. "Apparently home."

Mulan tied their hands together and pushed them into the cart. Snow looked at the unconscious Regina.

"Is she?"

"Alive? Yes...they knocked her out." Emma picked up Regina and placed her in her arms and over her lap.

Snow watched as Emma held onto Regina. She sighed. "Where are we going?"

"We are bringing you to the pit." Mulan informed her.

"Sounds promising." Snow said back sarcastically. She looked around at the shambles of the land she once called home. "Why are you taking us?"

"That wraith you sent to our world killed our Prince." Mulan said through gritted teeth.

Snow held Regina's hand and saw that the burn mark was gone. "When it came here it must have marked someone else."

"Saving Regina..." Emma spelled out. Mulan pulled on the reins of her horse. The jolt made everyone let out a scream. Mulan swung her head around. "That" She pointed to the unconscious mayor. "Is the evil queen Regina?"

"Um..." Emma looked at Snow knowing they were in trouble now.

"Who is she?" Aurora asked curious.

Mulan turned to look forward. "The reason our land is like this."

**To be continued**

**Just a small chapter I know, **


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28.**

Mulan roughly grabbed them and threw them into a dark hut. "Where is this place?" Snow asked staring at the warrior. "The pit." They had no idea of the size of the room. The darkness surrounded them. There was only one spot of light by the door. It was dim and only enough to see each other.

Snow sighed and slumped to the ground with her elbows on her knees and her hands covering her eyes. _'This is hopeless. I am never gonna get home to see Charming. I am gonna be trapped in wherever the hell this is.' _She sighed feeling the despair kick in. She noticed Emma's eyebrow's knitted together and a pained look in her eyes. _'She looks so broken.' _Snow placed her hand on Emma's arm. "Are you okay?"

Emma placed Regina carefully onto the ground not wanting to incidentally hurt her. She knelt down next to her. "I am fine, I just wish she would wake up."

"What happened to her?" Snow asked looking at the disheveled state of her former step mom. Emma huffed in annoyance.

"Xena the Warrior Princess hit her with some black weapon thing and knocked her out." Emma snarled and took a deep breathe to calm the rage that was forming inside her.

"And what did she do to make her do that?" Snow questioned with a hint of anger of her own making her daughter violently turn her head.

"She did nothing! The whiny one went batshit and Xena hit her." She turned from her mother and began to fix the hair off of Regina's face. Snow rolled her eyes.

"Xena isn't even from our world." Snow grumbled.

"You two sound like family." A female voice said from the darkness making both women jump. Emma moved in front of Regina to block her from the stranger. Snow scrunched her face, her brows knitting together. _'I know that voice from somewhere.'_

The woman remained in the shadows as she spoke so neither could see her face. "Are you family?" Emma looked to Snow who opened her mouth but didn't speak. "She...she is my mother, yes." Emma gave Snow a lopsided smile.

"You seem too close in age to be mother and daughter, no offense dear." Snow was sure she had heard that voice before but she couldn't quite place it.

"Is that another one of yours?" A finger came into the light pointing to the half covered Regina. "No." Snow practically scoffed at the accusation.

"Who is that?" The voice asked getting a slight bit closer. Emma blocked Regina more. So far the first two people she met in this land knocked Regina out and dragged them to a pit. It was becoming clear that people from this land didn't seem to like Queen Regina much as of late.

"A friend?" The voice pushed when it got no answer. Snow had a sudden flash in her head. She was a young girl dressed in a white dress, someone was stroking her cheek, "You must tell me dear snow." Snow turned whiter than she was ever written to be.

She gripped Emma's wrist tightly and whispered in a hushed voice. "Tell her nothing Emma."

"What are we whispering about?" The voice asking sounding petulant. Emma stared at her mother waiting for an explanation as to who the woman was and why they had to be quiet.

"I know it's you Cora." Snow said to the voice. Emma gasped then realised that revelation made no sense to her. "Sorry who is Cora?"

"Regina's mother." Snow announced and as if waiting for that to make an entrance Cora stepped into the light with her hands raised and a smirk on her face.

Emma instinctively covered Regina with her own body so she was harder to see even with the dim light on them.

"My how you have grown little Snow." Cora stepped closer to get a good look at her, Snow rolled her eyes and scowled at the woman. "The last time I saw you, you were so small. I did hear of you while you were gone though. You married well and apparently had a little girl." She took a step back and raked her eyes over Emma. "Your daughter is quite beautiful."

Emma gulped. "I also heard you were trapped in a world with no magic with my daughter...how did you get here?" She peered at the two women.

Snow spoke for them. "The curse broke and some of us got sent back." A glimmer of hope shone in the older woman's eye. "Did most of you return?"

"Only a small few." Emma added quickly. Cora heard the nervousness of her voice. The unsteady flow of words. "And my daughter?"

"Did not see her." Emma said through gritted teeth. Cora stepped closer.

"And who is the sleeping woman?"

Emma protectively wrapped her body around Regina more, shielding her face from the woman. "She is my sister...half sister." Emma confessed making Snow cringe. "Did Charming have a dalliance with another woman?" Cora smirked as she spoke.

Snow bit the insides of her cheeks as she glared at Cora. She wanted to tell her to shove it but in reality David had been with Katherine for almost 4 months since he woke up.

She ignored Cora's jibe and Emma stared at the older woman. She could see the family resemblance. She knew that meeting a mother after a curse was a good thing but she remember what Regina had told her about what the woman did. She had killed her fiance and forced her to marry the King.

"She is no interest to you. You can go back to wherever you came from." Snow waved her hand and gestured to the corner where she was before. Cora just stared at her. _'Princess has an attitude.'_

"I guess I can." Cora sniped and was about to move back to the dark corner she was in. They had nothing worthwhile to keep her interest. She stopped dead in her tracks when the figure on the floor grumbled in her sleep and with closed eyes spoke in a voice deep with the remnants of sleep. The last thing she remembered was a young girl screaming at her."Who is Prince Phillip."

Emma looked at her with wide eyes and shushed her and put her hand over Regina's mouth but it was too late. Cora spun around. She would recognise that voice anywhere. She stared at the woman on the floor. "Regina?"

The former Queen shot up from her position to see her nightmare in front of her. "Mother?"

**To be continued.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29.**

"Mother?"

Emma watched the color drain from Regina's face. She had a tight grip on Emma's arm as she looked at her mother in front of her, looking the same as she had when she closed a coffin on her.

Regina stumbled as she tried to get to her feet and as far away from her mother as she could. She backed into the wall as Cora smirked at her reaction staying in the same spot as before. _'I can still strike fear in her eyes that is good, fear is power.'_

_'She looks so terrified.'_

_'God, Cora hasn't changed one bit.'_

"Y-you're not real. You died. I s-saw you." She shook her head. _'This has to be a dream. A nightmare. She can't be real.' _ She wrapped her arms around herself in an act to protect herself. Cora tutted.

_'Still weak like her waif of a father.'_

"Not wise to trust a pirate to do your dirty work dear." Regina eyes widened at the realisation that it was in fact her mother before her and not a trick. She didn't want to believe it. The only reason she could function in any way in Storybrooke was because she was sure her mother was dead.

"No, you can't be real...no." Cora took a step forward to approach her. Emma stood up. _'She is not getting anywhere near her. Not if I have anything to do with it.'_ She shielded Regina from the volatile woman in front of her. She narrowed her eyes and glared at her.

"Sweetheart..." She tried in a soft voice. Regina pointed her finger at her.

"No! Don't you dare call me that." Cora rolled her eyes at her daughter's insolence. _'I had wished that kind of behavior would have been taking from her. This is obviously over that thing with the stable keep.'_

"You can't be still upset about the whole Daniel thing?" Regina looked at her like she had three heads. _'How can she even ask that?! Who forgives that?!'_

"YOU KILLED HIM! You...you ripped out his..." Regina voice broke and she tried desperately to stop the tears that were forming in her eyes. _'She wants me to cry, I can't give her that satisfaction.'_

"He got in the way of your destiny, dear." Cora tried to explain her actions and took another step closer.

"And what was that?" Regina spat back at her.

"To be Queen. Have power." Cora said simply but in a softer voice than before. Emma scoffed. _'Her mother is a piece of work. And I thought the Hendersons were bad. Regina would have done better in the system than with that.'_

"I never wanted any of that! You married me off to that monster." _'Keep it together.'_ The tears she tried to hold back fell. Snow stood up at the word monster. She knew Regina was talking about her father. She wasn't going to let them sully his reputation, his name.

"Monster is a bit harsh." She interrupted.

"No one asked you Snow!" Regina screamed at her and closed her eyes trying to calm down and not let her mask slip in front of the reason she had it. _'Keep it together.'_

"Yes, really. She was always a bothersome child, I see that hasn't changed. Besides Leopold was the better option of Kings." Cora stated.

"Better option? Better option?! Have you any idea what he, what he did to me?" She couldn't keep it together. She broke down and slide against the wall behind her. Flashbacks tore through her mind like a film reel she had no way to shut off. Tears fell quickly down her face. She covered it in her hands.

"Regina honey..." Cora went to approach her crying daughter but Emma stood in her way blocking Regina from her. She had already caused her so much pain. _'I know she is Regina's mother but there is no way in hell she is gonna get anywhere near her.'_

"Look lady, you need to back off." Emma fumed and pushed Cora back. Cora stumbled back and watched as Emma hunched down beside her crying daughter moving strands of hair of her face carefully. Cora watched the exchange as the blonde rubbed Regina's arm lightly. "You're okay." She said trying to reassure her.

"And why exactly is the daughter of Snow White protecting you dear?" No one answered her. Snow tugged on Emma's sleeve pulling her into a standing position the second she saw Cora watching them intently. She moved closer.

Emma blocked off the former queen once again. "I said back off!"

"Quite...protective. Peculiar." Cora stepped back and walked up and down as she watched them like a lion stalking it's prey. She suddenly smirked at them.

"Oh this is too good...the daughter of Snow White has a fallen in love with her grandmother."

"Step grandmother!" Emma corrected then blushed a dark red and added "And I...we are just friends." Regina hadn't heard what she said but Snow did. She groaned and whispered to Emma. "Tell her nothing." The Sheriff nodded.

"What was that is little Snow keeping more secrets?" Cora said in a sing song voice as she moved closer to Snow. "I wonder how daddy dearest would react to find out his granddaughter was a dyke."

Snow gritted her teeth and held Emma down knowing it would do no good to take the bait. She wanted to attack Cora but she wasn't sure if the woman had powers left. So she tried her best to ignore her.

"Regina? Get up off the ground." Cora called out but she ignored her and wiped her eyes. "You are showing weakness, around Snow White and her dyke of a daughter." Cora told her with a sound of disgust in her voice. Regina looked up at her with tears gleaming in her eyes. She grabbed Emma's hand to pull herself up off the floor and on to her feet. She stormed up to her mother. The pain in her eyes replaced with anger.

"Don't you dare call her that!" She poked her mother in her chest aggressively and flared her nostrils. Cora gulped and tried to retain her composure. She knew if Regina had her powers that they out weighed hers easily and she didn't have her book with her to help with harder spells that she knew Regina had mastered. She shrugged "That is what she is."

Emma pulled her back by her wrist. "She is not worth it, just let it go." The blonde looked into Regina's eyes and gave her a weak smile. "She is not worth it."

Regina sighed and nodded in agreement and moved back to where they were.

"Oh..." Cora smirked at what had just occurred. "This is too good to be true." She let out a cruel laugh. "I thought I was bad but you always had to be the best."

Regina spun around. "What is that suppose to mean?"

"You getting back at little Snow by making her daughter fall in love with you. You even convinced her it is some what mutual." Cora laughed.

"It is!" Regina spat out standing in front of Emma. Cora stopped laughing and stared at her. "No..."

Regina stared back and clenched her jaw. She didn't want Emma in danger. She had seen what her mother was capable of. What she did to her first love.

"You love that?" Cora asked pointing at Emma with a look of disgust. "You can't...My daughter is not a homosexual."

Regina rolled her eyes with a frown on her face. Snow grumbled to herself. "Okay with her killing but sleeping with women is where you draw the line?"

Cora flung out her hand and levitated Snow into the air trapping her body. "Shut up you imp!" She screamed making the others jump. Emma clutched Regina's hand and she felt magic course through her body. She held her hand up and released Snow with her own powers. Snow fell on her knees and Emma rushed over to her.

The former queen raised Cora of the ground who looked at her shocked. "You chose them over me?"

Regina looked over at them and smirked. "Every time."

**To be continued.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30.**

Cora struggled inside her daughter's powers. "Put me down! Put me down now!" She demanded as she tried to break free. Regina turned her wrist causing Cora to crash against the wall effectively knocking her out. Snow gasped at the loud crash sound. _'Did she just kill her?'_

Emma looked at Regina who was panting and bent over with her hands on her thigh. "Are you okay?" She gave Emma a curt nod and opened the lock of the pit with a flick of her wrist. "We need to get out of here, now."

Emma held her arm. "You are in no state to outrun the kind of warriors they have...just take a breather."

"I can't...she could wake at any minute. I will be fine. I promise." She gave Emma a smile. Emma cupped her face. "You sure?" Regina turned her head to kiss the blonde's palm. "I am."

Snow cleared her throat and rolled her eyes at them.

"Ladies I hate to break this up...but we should get going." She gestured to the door and the two separated and followed her.

Regina cast a spell and everyone at the camp suddenly fell asleep. "Come on." Snow looked around. "Did you kill them?" She asked horrified if that were the case. Regina frowned at her. "They are asleep."

They snuck out of their prison. Emma grabbed some food off the table and a dagger. Regina used her powers to obtain a sleeping warrior's bow and quiver of arrows. Snow looked at her scared that she was armed so Regina handed them to Snow.

She looked over at Emma who had a dagger in her boot and a handful of bowls. "What have you got there Emma?"

"All I have had to eat are popcorn and skittles, I am starving." Emma explained. _'And then I had mind blowing sex and orgasms can make a girl hungry.'_

"Popcorn and Skittles?" Snow questioned. Emma nodded. "When we were in the basement that was all we had to eat."

"Not all." Regina smirked and all the color drained from Snow's face and seemed to find itself in Emma's who was blushing darkly at the sultry sound in Regina's voice and that she mentioned it in front of her mother.

_'Oh that is just...I never needed that image...ew...'_

"Can we please get out of here." Snow said through gritted teeth.

They made their way out of the camp and off the island to the surrounding forest.

"How are we going to get home, anyone have a plan?" Emma asked when they were at a safe distance from the camp. Regina looked down and Snow cleared her throat. "I may have one."

"Do tell." Snow spoke to Emma, ignoring her ex-step-mother. "The wardrobe."

"As in the one that sent baby me to Maine, that one."

"Exactly. It was a portal once it could work."

Emma looked to Regina knowing she knew more about magic than Snow would. "Could it?"

"Yes." She said simply.

"So we can get home to Henry." Both his parents looked at each other with a hopeful glint in their eyes. Snow sighed and added. "And Charming...yes."

"Do you know where it is?" Emma asked hoping it was gonna be easy to access.

"Yes, my old castle. It should be in your nursery. Ready to see what would have been your home if your _girlfriend _hadn't ripped you from us?" Snow sniped and glared at Regina who growled at her.

"Girlfriend who just saved your ass!" Regina spat back as Snow pursed her lips.

"Who stopped you from being killed by a Wraith?"

Emma stepped between them knowing they wouldn't hurt her.

"Guys stop it! Regina you stay to this side and Mary Margaret stay here."

Emma grabbed Regina's hand and pulled her to her side. She had to admit that the last few days had been crazy. She found a love she had searched her whole life for. A deep connection with the woman who had been driving her crazy for months. Then the curse broke and she found her parents. She should be happy. But her parents and her new love had to be enemies. _'Just my luck. I wish they would just get along.'_

Snow pouted that Emma still saw her as her friend Mary Margaret and not as her mother and that was all Regina's fault. Her biggest enemy. She felt that her own daughter loved her more than she did her at that moment and it frustrated her to no end. _'How can Emma forgive her for what she did to us. To her world, to her parents, to her own life. She stole everything from her.'_

Regina frowned. The confrontation with her mother brought back feelings she had tried to keep buried. She hated the hatred that woman brought out in her. It was her fault that she did all this in the first place. _'I hate her! I hate her! I...I cried in front of Snow-fucking-White. I need to control myself. I can't afford to be weak around moth-Cora...oh god, stop tearing up. Control.' _She exhaled and they made there way towards the former princess' castle.

They walked until they sun began to set. Snow waited until they got to a clearing before suggesting. "We should set up camp until sunrise."

Emma yawned and agreed. "Good idea. I am wrecked." She stretched her arms above her head and Snow watched as Regina stared at the bare flesh on Emma's stomach as her shirt rose up. She walked over and tugged Emma's shirt down. Emma stared at her. _'What the hell was that?'_

Regina smirked and muttered. "She didn't sleep much the other night." Snow cringed and felt bile in her throat. Emma slapped her arm. "Really, in front of my mom." Regina bit her lip and muttered "Sorry." Snow smiled to herself. _'She called me her mom! Okay yes the other information was...unpleasant but she called me mom.'_

_'Why the fuck is she smiling at that...she was always weird, talking to animals and cavorting with dwarves.'_

_'She needs to stop doing that.'_

Emma cleared her throat breaking both women from their thoughts. Snow shook her head and looked at her daughter.

"We should keep watch in case the camp comes after us." Snow suggested. The others agreed with her and she gave a tight smile. "Who wants to take the first watch? "

"I'll do it." Regina offered. She smiled at Emma and sat on the ground of the clearing. Emma followed suit and lay on her lap. The blonde snuggled into Regina and closed her eyes feeling the weight of the day crash on her. She sighed.

Snow lay on the ground beside Emma and watched as Regina ran her fingers through her daughter's hair. She tried to resist the urge to drive one of the arrows through the woman's chest.

**To be continued.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31.**

Regina made sure Emma was sound asleep before she carefully moved the Sheriff off her body as she began her patrol of the clearing. She paced up and down occasionally glancing over to make sure Emma was okay. She was snoring softly. Regina smiled softly at how peaceful she looked.

The former queen cast her eye on Snow and saw her wide awake and staring at her.

"You should sleep, we have a long walk ahead of us tomorrow." She said with a yawn wishing she could sleep too.

"And have you stab me in the back while I sleep, no thank you." Snow sat up even straighter and crossed her arms over her chest looking at Regina who had her mouth open staring at the girl.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Snow stood up and walked closer to her and away from her sleeping daughter. "You are a killer."

_'She expects me to sleep with her as my guard. I let my guard around her before. I am not that stupid as to do it again.'_

"I am not going to kill you." She sighed exasperated. _'This is getting tiresome.' _She stepped away from where Emma lay so not to wake her. "I didn't for 28 years. Had every option to do it there and didn't." Regina pointed out trying to remain calm. Snow stood up and stalked after her invading her personal space.

"You were frozen in a time loop for most of that!" Snow argued. Regina scrunched her face.

"Actually, I wasn't. I just...never aged."

"You kept me and my true love apart." Snow pouted as she thought of Charming now in Storybrooke without her.

"David, please just call him David." Regina rolled her eyes. _'That is annoying. Thank god Emma has more common sense than that.'_

"You kept me and him apart." Snow clenched her jaw and inhaled deeply."Then you went and seduced my daughter."

"I did not seduce your daughter! If anything she came after me. She heard me say that I had feelings for her when she wire tapped my office..."

"The recordings..." Snow recalled Emma's fascination with listening in on the mayor in recent weeks._'That was why she acted so strange the last few weeks.'_

"You knew about them?" Reginas eyes darted up and down. _'I thought Emma just listened to them.'_

"Well, I...uh..." Snow stammered and looked down at her hands.

"Anyway when we were locked in the basement together _she _was the one to make the first move. She isn't as judgmental as you."

"Emma may think you have changed but I know the real you." Snow poked her in her chest and stared into her eyes. Regina looked down at her with a glint of anger in her eyes.

"Oh really. Do tell."

"You are an evil spiteful witch with an ugly soul." She spat out and went to walk back to the clearing. Regina called after her.

"You weren't saying that in your journal entries!" Snow stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened. _'She didn't.'_

"Y-you read my j-journal?" Snow managed to choke out. Regina smirked, her eyes filled with mirth. _'Wonder how Emma would feel if she knew her mother...that is weird to think about.'_

"Seems like I have some kind of spell over the White family." Regina winked and watched as a fuming Snow stalked over to her and grabbed her wrist .

"T-that was...private!"

"Dear Diary, father has married the most beautiful woman ever..." Regina mocked in a higher voice as she recited an extract from a journal from a ten year old Snow White. Snow blushed darkly, she had forgotten she had even wrote that.

"Shut up..."

"...she has amazing breasts. I wonder what it would be like to have breasts like that. Even to feel them." Regina let out a small laugh and looked down at her chest area and then back up to Snow who was blushing with a fierce look on her face, a look filled with embarrassment and anger."

"Shut up!" She closed the gap between them and pushed Regina over. The woman stumbled back into a tree and let out a laugh at the outburst.

"You were lucky it was me reading it not your father. He had me locked in a tower after I wrote in my journal that I had feelings for another man." Regina's mood suddenly turned somber.

"He didn't do that." Snow shook her head. _'Here she goes again with this victim crap. All lies.'_

Regina stomped over to her with her finger in Snow's face.

"Yes he did! He starved me, even tortured me to find out who it was." She spoke in an angry whisper. Snow gulped at how furious her ex step mother had gotten. She spoke out in a soft whisper.

"My father was a kind man he would never do that." Regina's nostrils flared and her stare got more intense. She gripped Snow's shirt pulling them closer towards each other, invading personal spaces as she pointed to the scar above her lip with her other hand.

"Did you ever wonder about this scar?" Snow's eyes darted down to the scar she never really noticed before. She shook her head with wide eyes.

"I...no..."

"He did it." Regina held her close to her as tears formed in her steely glare. Snow wanted to take a step back but she couldn't move an inch. An odd fascination with the woman in front of her kept her from fleeing from the confrontation. "Held a knife to my lip one night...when he...it was to stop me from screaming. To shut me up." She spat out with a hurt voice. She closed her eyes trying desperately to close off the memories that were trying to break through.

"You are lying!" Snow yelled at her and pulled herself free from Regina's grasp. The mayor tailed behind her talking to the back of Snow's head.

"But I screamed anyway. I kicked and scratched and fought but it never stopped him."

Her voice cracked making Snow turn around with her brow scrunched. "No..."

"How were you so blind?! You saw me every day! You had to see me breaking!"

"I...you weren't...you are lying." She shook her head not wanting to believe her father was capable of that. Not wanting to see him like that. "No." She tried to remember the Queen when her dad was around. She had flashes of Regina sitting at court. She noticed the broken weak smile but shook it off.

Regina gripped her shoulders and in a voice sounding desperate she asked.

"Emma can tell when people are telling the truth, why can't you?!" She pleaded with Snow.

Snow looked at the woman before her. She knew she was telling the truth. But she didn't want to know it. _'She is being honest with me...why didn't she escape. She could have left us. God knows she didn't stay for me.'_

"He...no...If that was true why wouldn't you just run." She asked as a tear ran down her cheek. She puffed out her cheeks trying to control the tears by exhaling slowly. Regina watched her and wiped her own eyes as she whispered.

"I couldn't leave...My mother cast a spell on the surroundings. I could only leave with him."

Snow huffed as a small silence fell over them.

"Cora...you know she tricked me into telling your secret...regardless...I am sorry."

"You are?" Regina opened her mouth to say something else but nothing came out. Snow nodded. "I am sorry."

Regina wiped the corner of her eyes. "I am sorry about what happened to your father...I just I had to get away from him."

_'Can't really blame her. I probably would have done the same.'_

"So you killed him..." She said it in an understanding tone, shocking Regina. She had been waiting for understanding from Snow for so long that she was sure she was dreaming. She gulped and admitted the truth.

"No. Sidney Glass did that...to set me free."

"I didn't know..." Snow sobbed and covered her mouth feeling guilty for not realising what had been happening sooner. Regina took her other hand in hers.

"I blamed you for Daniel's death and what your father did and I am sorry. For all I did. I am sorry."

"You are sorry?" Snow furrowed her brow. She had never heard Regina apologise.

"Yes. For everything." She gave her a weak smile and squeezed her hand.

Snow grabbed Regina and pulled in for a hug catching her off guard. It took her a few seconds to respond.

Emma woke up to see her mom and girlfriend hugging both sobbing into each other's shoulders. She was sure she was dreaming. She rubbed her eyes and saw them still hugging. In a sleepy voice she asked.

"What did I miss?"

Mulan came out from behind a bush and in a swift move held her sword to Emma's neck. Emma gasped loudly breaking the two women from their embrace. Mulan sneered at them.

"A lot actually."

**To be continued.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32.**

"What did I miss?"

Mulan came out from behind a bush and in a swift move held her sword to Emma's neck. Emma gasped loudly breaking the two women from their embrace. Mulan sneered at them.

"A lot actually."

Emma felt the cool metal against her neck and gulped looking over at Regina and Snow. Mulan stood behind her locking her in place. _'You have got to be fucking kidding me.' _

Regina balled her fists and stared with her mouth open. _'If she harms even a hair on her head. I will kill her.'_

"Get off me you second rate Xena!" Emma growled to the woman behind her who gripped her tighter.

The mayor went to make a move, the second she did Mulan pressed the blade closer to Emma's skin. "One move and off goes her head."

"Regina, do something." Snow said in a hushed whisper sounding desperate as she watched Emma in danger. _'I can't lose her.' _ Regina quickly raised her hand. The warrior froze to the spot, her sword still by Emma's neck but unable to even flinch. Regina sighed elated that her powers worked as she wanted but something gripped her chest at the idea that Emma was still trapped.

"Let me go! I demand you!" Mulan bellowed and tried desperately to fight against her restraints but it was futile.

"Slide out carefully, Miss Swan." Regina ordered her voice sounding soft. Emma inhaled and slowly moved an inch.

_'I can do this...slowly...slowly.'_

_'You can do it Swan. Come on.'_

_'My baby! Be careful.'_

"You can do it Emma, keep her frozen Regina." Snow ordered as she watched.

_'Like I am going to unfreez-No I need to stop with that attitude towards her. Focus. Keep her in place.'_

Emma slowly slide out of her position not wanting to accidently slice herself on the blade. The second she was completely free Regina reached out and grabbed her sleeve. She pulled her close for a one armed hug, her other arm concentrating her magic to hold the intruder in place.

Emma let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She wrapped her arms around Regina's middle as she held her close to her as she nuzzled her neck. "You are okay." Regina assured her and kissed her temple all the while keeping her eye on Mulan. Snow rubbed her back softly. She kissed the top of her daughter's head.

"Let me out!" Mulan screamed.

"Are there others following you?" Regina asked trying to remain calm against the woman who just threatened to behead her girlfriend. Mulan said nothing. The queen squinted her eyes and the sword rose from her hand and floated in the air beside the warrior's own neck. "If you don't speak I will test your shiny sword out on you. Now are there others?"

"You wouldn't." Mulan bit back. Regina was getting impatient.

"I am the 'evil queen' and you just had a knife on my girl's neck...you want to try me." The queen glared at Mulan menacingly. Snow saw the look in the woman's eyes. She knew that look.

_'She is gonna kill her. She can't kill her.'_

"Regina, you can't...Mulan is just following orders." Snow pleaded knowing the woman did not deserve to die. Regina glared at her in disbelief about to tell her that _Mulan _had just tried to kill her only child when Emma snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Mulan?!" Emma scoffed and covered her mouth. _'I loved that film.'_

"What is so funny?" The warrior asked. Emma rolled her eyes with a smirk.

"You must be swift as a coursing river!" She sang catching everyone off guard then lowered her voice and sang again. "Be a man!"

_'Oh my god she didn't.'_

_'She is so adorable.'_

_'Hey, my first fairytale princess song.'_

_'The opiates in their world must be quite strong. She seems to think I am a man.'_

"I am a woman." Mulan corrected her. Regina and Snow tried their hardest to keep their laughter on the inside at Emma's outburst. Snow covered her mouth and Regina bit her bottom lip.

"Emma, sweetheart...this is not the time." Her mother placed her hand on her shoulder, she blushed. "Yes of course." She nodded somberly and Regina cleared her throat remembering she had work to do.

"Are there others?" She demanded as she moved the sword closer. Mulan's eyes darted down to the sword about to impale her.

"No, I came alone." She confessed quickly.

"Why?"

"I came to kill her! That!" She moved her eyes to Regina and Emma growled. "She is evil and evil should be vanquished." Mulan continued. Snow held her daughter back as she tried to move forward to attack the warrior.

_'She has fucking changed!'_

"And yet you had you sword pointed at her, why?" Regina stared fiercely at Mulan.

"Because you were protective over her. She is your weakness."

Emma shot a bullet off her gun into the air. The loud bang made everyone jump.

"I think I can take care of myself."

A loud howl broke through the night. All women looked to where the sound had come from.

"What was that?"

"Ogres! Run!" Snow yelled. Regina unfroze Mulan and they all started to sprint off as a loud crashing got closer and closer.

Regina grabbed Emma's hand as they ran, not wanting to lose her. Snow kept up barely behind them. They heard a soft thud behind them as Mulan tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground.

The ogre was getting closer. Snow almost crashed into Emma as she stopped. "We can't let her die!"

"She was gonna kill us." Regina shot back.

"I have to go back!" Snow turned around and ran back towards the warrior. Emma cried out.

"Mary Margaret! Come back!" She looked into Regina's eyes. "I can't lose my mom." The queen kicked herself internally over the power those eyes held over her and sighed in agreement as she ran back.

_'This is becoming a pattern saving Snow's ass. But if it makes Emma happy that's all that matters.'_

_'Damn, Mary Margaret. She has to be so nice.'_

They caught up to find an ogre breathing over Mulan heavily. It turned and focused it's attention on the two newcomers.

"Not my daughter, you bitch!" Snow yelled and shot an arrow through it's head. The beast fell to the ground sending a light trimmer as the ground shook under the weight. Regina and Emma let out a light laugh. "You did it mom!"

Snow burst into a huge smile at the mention of the name Emma called her. She tilted her head and tried to hold back tears. "You called me Mom."

Mulan got her foot free and scampered to her feet. She looked at them with wide eyes. "You came back for me?"

"It is what _good _people do." Snow pointed out and smiled at Regina who smiled back at her. "Good, huh? I can live with that."

"Not very wise...dear." Mulan smirked at looked over at Regina. She opened her eyes widely and stammered.

"W-what did you just say?"

"You heard me." Mulan purred. Regina stepped in front of Emma protectively.

"What are you..." Emma started. Regina held her hands out in front of her. "That isn't Mulan."

A puff of blue smoke erupted around Mulan and standing in her place stood Cora. She let out a laugh at the panicked expressions on her face. Regina threw up her hand but Cora disappeared in a puff of smoke.

She appeared behind Emma. "Do you remember what I told you before Regina." Regina spun around ready to attack her mother with her powers but Cora sensed it and disappeared again.

She appeared behind Regina with Mulan's sword in her hands. "Being good...gets you killed."

She thrust into Regina's side. The Queen looked back at her mother in disbelief as she pulled the blade out of her.

Emma screamed as blood began to flow down Regina's shirt. "NOOoooo!"

**To be continued.**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33.**

She thrust into Regina's side. The Queen looked back at her mother in disbelief as she pulled the blade out of her.

Emma screamed as blood began to flow down Regina's shirt. "NOOoooo!"

Regina's knees went from below her. Her mother held her up my her neck. "You were always weak." She sneered. Emma took out her gun and aimed at Cora. The witch used her daughter as her shield. "Why?" Regina managed to ask in a hushed whisper. "You betrayed me."

"Let her go!" Emma screamed as she looked at the red stain on Regina's shirt.

Cora disappeared in a puff of blue smoke dropping her daughter as she fled.

Emma dropped her gun and ran forward to catch the former queen as she fell forward. She slide her knees onto the ground crashing them into the hard ground. The Sheriff lifted Regina onto her lap. Regina was sobbing loudly at the pain that tore through her body. Emma cradled her in her arms looking down at all the blood with wide eyes at what had happened. "Oh god..." She raised her hand and stared as droplets of blood dripped off her fingertips.

Snow covered her mouth as she watched her heart broken daughter hold her former enemy, her former parent.

"Is...is it bad?" Regina asked wincing at the pain trying to not scream out. Emma looked down at the blood stain getting bigger just above her hip. "I...I..." She didn't know how to answer the question. She could tell it was bad but she didn't want to accept it. She shook her head and tried to give Regina a weak smile but she couldn't. Emma looked helplessly over at her mother.

Snow froze realising they had no options available to them. _'The lake with healing...no that is gone. Stab wounds...what do you do for a stab wound? ER...they would apply pressure.'_

"We need to, to apply pressure." Snow instructed and approached the pair moving Emma's hand down to Regina's side. She felt Emma flinch under her hand.

Emma looked down at the blood. _'There is too much blood.' _She felt the sticky substance against her palms. The feeling turned her insides. She moved her hands and Snow took over adding pressure to the wound.

"Does that feel any better?" Snow asked Regina who couldn't hear her over her sobbing.

_'I need to get back, I can't die here. I made Henry a promise.'_

Emma shook her head as she looked down at Regina in shock. _'She needs help, we need help, I can't fix her. I can't fix her...I need to call an ambul-she needs a hospital.'_

"She needs a doctor! She needs to be at a goddamn hospital! SHE NEEDS A DOCTOR! I WANT TO BE HOME! WE NEED TO GO HOME!" Emma's voice bellowed, she was furious.

"Emma, the ogres, you have to be..." Snow tried to shush her not wanting Emma to be injured aswell.

"NO! I...I can't...there...no one can help us here..." She was having a panic attack, her breathing getting rapid, she rocked Regina in her arms.

"I'm dying right?" Regina asked looking up at Emma.

"No...you are not going to die. I won't allow it." She gave her a look of fierce determination. Regina tried to take a deep breath and winced at the sharp pain in her side. Emma moved the hair off the Mayor's face and cupped her cheek. "We didn't even have our date...You agreed to a date, we never went on our date."

"I'm sorry Emma."

"No, we are gonna get you better, we are and then we will go on that date an-and on more than that" Emma gave her a watery smile. "We will be married, i-it is legal and everything now...we, we will dance at Henry's...at his wedding..."

"Em...Emma, I need you...you have to tell Henry that I...love him and I am...sorry I broke his promise." Regina choked out, feeling she wouldn't make it much longer. She felt new tears fall from her eyes and heard a whimper escape Emma's lips.

"You can tell him yourself." She ground out in a strangled voice. She wasn't ready to hear this. _'Regina shouldn't be saying goodbye to anyone. She can't...because that means she is...and I...she is not dying.'_

Regina turned her attention to the other woman. "Snow, I am sorry for...for everything."

"I know, Regina." Snow covered her mouth as a tear fell down her cheek. She had wanted this day. Prayed for this day. The day she would finally defeat the Queen but now that she saw her lying there in Emma's arms breathing heavily; broken, she wished, she silently prayed for her to miraculously get up. She would've given anything for her former enemy to get up and laugh at how she had made her cry.

But Regina stayed in Emma's arms.

"E-emma..."

"No don't you dare say goodbye, you are not dying." Regina looked at Emma one last time and squeezed her eyes shut.

"E-emma, I love you." Emma was about to tell her she loved her too when she felt Regina go limp in her arms. She felt her stomach drop and her breath catch in her throat.

"Regina? Open your eyes...please, open your eyes...this isn't funny." She pleaded but Regina's body lay lifeless in her arms. Snow placed her hand on Emma's shoulder.

"Emma, sweetheart. She is...gone."

"No! No! She can't be...T-true Love's kiss...it works...it worked." Emma leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Regina's lips. Nothing happened.

Emma wiped back her tears. "There has to be someway."

"Emma, honey." Snow started. "R-regina is dead." Emma cried loudly as she held Regina's lifeless body close to hers. Snow wrapped her arms around her broken hearted daughter. Emma's fingers fell over the gapping wound. Emma felt electricity spark from her fingers. She looked down, her fingers were glowing with a yellow light. She managed to choke out "What is this."

Snow gripped her hand in place. She had only seen it once before. True magic. "A way to get her back. Concentrate on her." She ordered. Emma did as she was told. She watched in awe as the skin under Regina's torn bloodied shirt began to close. Seconds after the wound was healed she looked over the lifeless body. Still nothing. She was about to stop when she witnessed Regina's eyelids flutter.

_'She's alive?!'_

_'Where am I?'_

Regina slowly opened her eyes. Emma let out a strangled laugh and uttered the woman's name. "REGINA!" Snow gasped. "It worked."

Regina looked up at Emma smiling happily down at her.

**To be continued.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34.**

Regina looked up at Emma smiling happily down at her.

"You're alive!" She cupped Regina's face and kissed her. Then began peppering kisses all over her cheeks."I don't know how but you are." She kissed her lips again. "I love you...do you know that. I love you so much." She heard a small laugh escape Snow's lips. "Honey, let her take a breath."

_'I am just so happy, she is alive. I have her back.'_

"Sorry." Emma smiled widely at Regina who smiled back at her. "How...did you? Where is my..." She moved her hand under her blood soaked shirt to feel for a deep cut from Mulan's sword but felt nothing but her skin. The cut was gone. There was no mark that she had even been hit.

"May I?" Emma asked and raised her shirt up a few inches revealing the Mayors healed waist. Emma gently traced her fingertips over the would be scar. The movement of made goosebumbs appear on her flesh and for a sharp intake of air from Regina.

Snow began to feel very awkward and cleared her throat making both women blush at the intimate moment she was watching.

Emma slowly moved her fingers off her body. "It is fully healed. Does it hurt?" She asked making sure. "No but how am I here?"

_'How am I alive?'_

"Emma used magic." Snow said proudly.

"You used magic?" Regina stared at her with wide eyes.

Emma smirked now feeling proud at what she had accomplished. She moved a lock of hair off the mayor's face. Regina gripped her arm with a serious look on her face. "Emma, all magic comes with a price."

"I didn't even know I was using it...it just came out of me. I was crying holding you and yellow sparks appeared and you were alive."

Regina sat up feeling lightheaded. "Love is a very strong magic." She stated. Snow nodded in agreement.

"We need to get out of this land. I almost died and I can't die without seeing my...our son." Emma smiled at her knowing it was true and kissed her lips softly. "We will get back to him. I promised you."

"We should start going now if we want to get there before night rolls in." Snow pointed out as the sun began to rise.

"Are you okay to make it towards the castle?" Emma asked concerned, not wanting to push her.

"I am fine. We should go."

Emma helped Regina to her feet. The Queen stumbled as she tried to walk forward. "Regina, are you okay?"

"I...I feel a bit dizzy." She shook her head and closed her eyes tightly. Emma stood behind her and held the mayor's hips in an effort to keep her steady.

"She lost a lot of blood. Healing a cut won't replace it...it will return soon enough but she won't be strong enough to walk the distance." Snow pointed out.

"Why can't we use magic like Cora did...the magic smoke bomb exit thing." Emma asked resting her head on Regina's shoulder.

"That spell only works with one person."

"Okay fine then until we find another mode of transport, I will carry you." Regina turned her head and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't be absurd, Swan. You are not carrying me." Emma smirked at the her.

"Try and stop me." She swept her off her feet making Regina squeal. She carried Regina bridal style who wrapped an arm around Emma's neck to stop herself from falling.

"Put me down Miss Swan." She said trying not break into a smile at how adorable Emma was being. Emma spun around and laughed. "Never."

"I can't believe I am saying this, but you two are rather cute together." Snow said with a soft smile at the two of them who beamed back at her.

"Off to Snow White's castle." Emma burst into laughter. "The White castle...white castle...Oh god we are like Harold and Kumar."

Emma continued laughing while Snow and Regina shrugged to each other.

_'Is that a thing? I don't get that.'_

_'Was that a film?'_

"Are we going to go?" Regina asked moving closer to Emma's body. She nuzzled her head against Emma's chest. Emma blushed and moved her hands up the Queen's thighs.

"Yes, um, let's go."

Snow picked Emma's gun out of the grass and walked just behind them with the gun in her hands.

_'If Cora comes back I am gonna give her a piece of my mind for making my daughter hurt like that. She looked so broken when Regina died.'_

They walked for miles, only stopping so Emma could adjust and not drop Regina.

"Swan, you can put me down...Your biceps have got to be burning now." She traced her fingertips up Emma's arm making the blonde stare at her with desire in her eyes.

_'She is so hot. My arms kinda hurt but it is so worth it.'_

"Huh, what...oh...no I am fine."

"You have been carrying me for miles. Please take a rest."

"Well we need to get you something to eat. We need to get me something to eat." Emma sighed wanting a grilled cheese.

"It will involve hunting." Regina pointed out.

"Ew, really?"

"That is not true, there are fruits and vegetables, no animals have to be slaughtered." Snow pointed out. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Well can we get some of those now." Emma groaned. "I am on it." Snow said as she began to forage for edible fruits.

They stopped to take a break in an abandoned hut just a few miles short of the castle. Snow moved straight for the stove. Emma placed Regina on the chairs in the kitchen area. "The color has returned to your face." She held her jaw in both hands examining Regina. "You are so beautiful."

_'She called me beautiful.'_

Regina broke into a bashful smile. "You are even more so."

"That is impossible." She leaned closer and kissed her lips softly, moaning into it.

"Standing right over here." Snow grumbled. The two separated and Emma looked down at her hands. She stretched her fingers. Regina's blood had dried on her hands. They were sticky and caked in it. "I need a long soak."

"I may join you on that."She blushed darkly when she realised what she said.

_'Oh...why does she make me so frazzled.'_

_'Mmm, her naked in a bath, water dripping down her shoulders to her pert boobs...man, on second thought I need a cold shower.'_

_'Ugh, don't need that image in my head.'_

Emma smirked and Snow cringed. She added "I need a change of clothes." She gestured down to her blood soaked clothes.

"Well we can change once we get to our castle." Snow pointed out as she started chopping vegetables to make a soup.

"Is there indoor plumbing here?" Emma asked feeling angsty. She looked around. "SCORE!" She ran in and used the bathroom and began washing up. Regina went in after her and after washing her hands, Regina moved to the bedroom and saw a mirror in the corner of the room. She walked over to it and began to take off her shirt. She checked her stomach in the cracked mirror over the sink.

Emma leaned against the doorway watching her. She watched as the mayor raised her arm up looking where the sword wound should be. Emma took a step in the door. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Regina turned around to see she was being watched. "I...what? Yes of course." She went to pick up her blood stained shirt. Emma stopped her. "Why so fast?"

"Your mother is right outside that door." Regina warned. Emma walked over and snaked her arms around Regina's waist.

"So we will have to be very very quiet." She began to kiss down Regina's neck.

"Emma..."

"Come on I really need to show how thankful I am that this sexy body is still alive." Emma went back to sucking on Regina's skin.

"This sexy bo-I can barely walk you think I will be able to take a mind shattering orgasm ripping through me body?"

"Mind shattering huh?" Emma smirked.

"Oh please you knew it." Regina grabbed her shirt in her hands and crashed her lips against Emma's. She pushed Emma onto the bed and crawled on top of her and went back to kissing her.

Emma moved her hands over her ass and pulled her closer.

"Dinner is...oh my god!" Snow shut the door and hurried back to the kitchen area. _'That is just...ugh. I need to bleach my eyes.'_

"Ugh...this is going to be awkward." Emma sighed and Regina laughed."Going to be?" Emma slapped her arm lightly.

"Come on, you need something to eat?" Emma helped Regina back into her shirt and they walked into the kitchen blushing at Snow White who wasn't able to look at them. She placed to bowls in front of them. They all ate in silence.

Both Regina and Emma had seconds while Snow looked out the window.

"Mary Margaret this is really good." Emma said trying to break the silence. "What is in-"

"-horses..."

"What?! Did I just eat horse soup!" Regina looked appalled and pushed her bowl away.

Snow turned back to them with a large grin on her face. "There are horses! In the fields!"

Emma furrowed her brow at why it would be a big deal. Regina however grinned widely. "That is amazing."

"For food?"

"No, for riding."

"Regina is an amazing horse rider." Snow informed her.

Emma turned to look at Regina raising an eyebrow. "You are?"

"Yes, she trained me." Snow gave Regina a quick smile. "It was how we uh..." She frowned realising that if her horse hadn't off gone past Regina she would never have met her father.

"Do you see any saddles?" Regina asked cutting her off. They looked around for them but came up empty. "So no riding?" Emma asked.

"We will just ride bareback." Regina told her. Emma choked on her soup.

"Will it hurt?"

"Uh...it may hurt your inner thighs and your you know..." Snow mumbled off.

Regina moved close to Emma and whispered into her ear in a sultry voice. "I promise to kiss it better afterwards."

Emma tried hard not to moan. Snow left them to go to bathroom. "You will kiss it better?" Regina nodded and kissed her cheek.

When Snow was done they made their way outdoors. Regina rounded up three horses. Emma tugged on her blood stained sleeve. "Regina...I don't know how to..."

"That is okay. You can ride with me."

"I believe I already did."

"Standing right here."

"Sorry mom."

"M-mom, you just called me...oh Emma!" Snow crushed Emma in a hug. She hugged her back resting her head on her shoulder. "Uh...we should go."

Snow wiped her eyes. "Yes...shall we?"

She stood on a bail of hay and propped herself onto one horse. Regina helped Emma up and then pulled herself in front of her.

"Hold on tight Emma." Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's waist.

**To be continued.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35.**

The horses took commands easily and they made their way effortlessly through the deep forest surrounding the castle. They were quickly approaching.

"How are you back there?" Regina asked Emma as she leaned her head back to get a look at Emma's face. She was gripping Regina's hips for dear life. "I prefer my bug." Regina shook her head. "That contraption really?"

"Contraption? What are you 60?"

"Technically..." Regina mused. Emma tried to process that the woman she was holding could technically get a senior rate to the movies. She rest her head on her shoulder and whisper in Regina's ear.

"So you aren't a Milf but a Gilf?" Regina scrunched her face. _'What is that?'_

"Gilf?"

"Grandmother I'd like to fuck." Emma spelled out louder than she had meant to. Regina raised her eyebrows and tried to fight the smile that was forming on her face. Snow cringed on the horse next to them.

"I wish I was Helen Keller right now."

Emma blushed darkly and Regina tried to bite back a laugh at Snow's expense but it escaped her lips. She looked at Snow and shrugged. "Sorry..."

Snow grimaced and stared straight ahead.

"And technically she wouldn't be a grandmother...Henry has no children."

"I just meant that I would like...to...uh...um."

"Fuck her?" Snow added making Regina gulp. She could feel Emma grip her harder and felt her hide her face in her shoulder as she mumbled.

"Uh...well um..."

"Well judging by the love bites all over her I assumed you already have." Snow said flippantly. Both women looked at her with wide eyes.

"Oh god." Emma hide herself behind Regina feeling embarrassment washed over her.

"How do you know about that?!" Regina demanded stopping her horse making Snow do the same in order to answer her.

"I walked in on you two trying to go for round two in that cabin, remember?" She cringed and shook her head trying to wipe the image out of her head.

"Would've been round 5 actually." Emma admitted shrugging. Snow squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. Regina spun around as much as she could to yell at Emma for telling her that.

"Emma!" She spun back to Snow. "And w-why were you even looking?!"

"I...well um...it was uh..." Emma smirked as she watched her mother turn red with embarrassment.

"Oh shut up." She started riding off, the others rode after her. They arrived at the castle by sunset. The building loomed over them.

Snow hopped off her horse and helped Emma down from hers. Emma helped Regina and held her waist longer than necessary.

"Ow. My thighs hurt like hell." Emma stated when she was on her feet.

_'Wait until I have you with a strap on.'_

_'It was not that bad, try childbirth without drugs.'_

_'Oww, this is so painful.'_

After tying up the horses they made their way inside the grounds. Two large doors blocked them from accessing the old castle. Snow pulled on the door trying to get them open but they barely budged.

"Is the key beneath the plant?" Emma joked trying to lighten the mood. Snow sighed at having come so far to be stopped by a door.

"Regina, can you magic it open?"

"Yeah you know, Alohamora." Emma swished her hand and Regina gave her a puzzled look.

"I have no idea what you are doing." She placed her hand over the handle and closed her eyes. A small puff of purple smoke erupted around them. The heavy doors swung open to reveal a grand foyer with a large chandelier and a large staircase that led in two directions. Emma stepped inside and looked around with wide eyes.

"WOAH! This was yours?"

"Yeah..." Snow walked into her now disheveled old home. She led them to the staircase. Emma followed her looking around amazed at the interior. Regina hugged herself and grumbled.

"I hate this place."

"The wardrobe is upstairs...in the east wing." Snow informed them as they climbed the stairs. The walked past a large door with ornate handles. Regina stayed back. Emma opened it and took a quick peek inside.

"Oh what room was this?" She asked Snow curiously.

"The master bedroom." She stated and took a step inside to take a look at the room. Emma followed her but Regina froze by the door unable to follow them in.

_'I can't go back in there.'_

"Regina, are you okay?" Emma asked noticing she had fell behind. Regina snapped her eyes up to her.

"Huh? W-what? Oh...yes." She gave Emma a fake smile and waited outside the room until the others returned. They walked past more doors. Snow stopped them.

"This is my closet, I need to change. I bet you two want to too."

"I need to but I am not wearing a dress. I will wear something of Charming's." Emma moved over to a smaller room just to the side of Snow's closet.

"I guess I can try one of your dresses on..." Regina sighed and began to look through the large amount of frilly dresses.

"I actually kept some of your dresses in here...they are old ones...no leather." Snow pointed out and went to retrieve 4 dresses. They were all from the year Regina had first married her father.

"You kept them?" She asked as she held the dresses in her hands.

"I couldn't find the heart to throw them out." Snow gave her a lopsided smile and began changing into one of her dresses. It was blue and cream.

Regina did the same and slipped into one. She pulled it up. The cut on the dress was very revealing for her cleavage. She had stopped wearing clothes like that as mayor. She looked at herself in Snow's mirror.

"I forgot how revealing this one is...I should change." She turned around and caught Emma staring at her.

"Wow, you are not changing...you look...just wow." She raked her eyes over the Queen's body and licked her lips. Regina tilted her head and looked at what Emma had on.

"What are you wearing?"

"It was either this or pantaloons. David has no style..."

"Hey!" Snow yelled at them.

_'He does to have style.'_

"She has a point. He dresses like a lumberjack now." Regina stated as she fixed her hair in the mirror.

"Hey! I like plaid." Emma said with a pout. Snow and Regina shared a look.

"You just out gayed yourself."

"You watched mean girls?"

"Everyone has..."

They made their way to the nursery. Emma took Regina's hand as she looked at her surroundings.

"So this could have been mine?"

"I am sorry for taken this away from you but the life of royalty is no fun." Regina sighed trying to block out memories that were threatening to surface. Emma bumped hips with her jolting her from her thoughts.

"Tell that to Prince Harry."

"You would have been controlled to do everything one way, you could never mess up publically, show emotion, you become a drone. And they make you wear pouffy dresses."

"Ugh..." Emma made a face and felt a shiver run up her spine.

"All you heard was the pouffy dress part, wasn't it?" Regina rolled her eyes.

"Yes...ughhh"

Snow stopped in front of another door.

"This is um, was your nursery..."

She opened the doors to reveal a damaged nursery. Emma gave her a soft smile as she entered with her mom. Regina stayed by the door.

"It is very cute."

"I was gonna teach you to walk in here, play dolls with you...teach you to talk." Snow fought back tears. Emma gave her a weak smile.

"Would have been nice."

Snow picked up a bear and let out a sob. Regina looked down feeling ashamed that she had ripped that from Emma.

"Mom, please don't cry. I am here now." Emma pulled Snow into a hug. She cried on her daughter's shoulder.

"But we missed so much."

"We have a lot of time to catch up." Emma told her as she held her by the shoulders so they could look into each other's eyes. She wiped a tear of Snow's cheek and took her hand and walked towards a large tree trunk with doors in the center of the room.

"So is this the wardrobe that sent me to Maine?"

"The very same." She wiped the rest of the tears away with her arm.

"Even if we get it to work...we will need some type of compass to make sure we return to Storybrooke." Regina pointed out from the door.

"There is one in the wardrobe." Snow pointed out.

"There is one...in...so there is." Regina inspected the inside and saw a compass stuck to the inside of the tree.

"We need to remove it?" She told them.

"Why?"

"Because we need something that can restore it's powers and I am not lugging that...to Lake Nostos." She gestured to the large wardrobe.

"That is dried up...there is no water there. We trekked to it before. It was actually how I had you." Snow placed her hand on Emma's shoulder but the blonde cringed.

"I don't need to hear about you and Charming...doing that."

"And it is okay for me to hear about you two? No. The King made me barren with a spell...there was only a drop of water there but it changed that."

"You father did what?!" Regina asked appalled.

"Not our King. King George."

"Have you ever heard the phrase...'Still waters run deep?'"

"What are you saying."

"We get this to Lake Nostos then we get home."

"And how do we get it there?"

"Magical ashes...we burn it, carry some ashes and use the lake to restore the magical properties to the wood but first we need to get the compass off of it." Regina told them. Emma groaned.

_'More trekking...really?'_

"Is this lake far?"

**To be continued.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36.**

"Could take a day or so...we should rest here tonight." Snow told them and went over to pat her shoulder. Emma pouted. "In a creepy abandoned castle." She had read too many Stephen King novels to know that this wouldn't end well. _'I am going to get possessed by something.'_

_'It doesn't even feel like home anymore.'_

Regina hated the idea as much as her. She didn't exactly have any happy memories associated with being in the castle. This was for all intents and purposes; her personal prison. She was sent here by her mother. A mother who had just recently tried and succeeded in killing her. _'If it wasn't for Emma...what kind of mother does that? Look at those two. That is how a mother is. She has accepted us more than I ever thought Snow White ever would. More than I deserve. My mother called me a dyke and stabbed me...I willingly gave Snow a apple with a sleeping curse. Not deathly and yet I am branded the most evil step mother ever.'_

She sighed and puffed out her cheeks and exhaled slowly in an effort to ebb away her anger. She tried to get back to the matter at hand.

"Snow, do you know if you have an axe somewhere in this place." She furrowed her brows as she tried to remember. She remembered they used it to chop firewood for the fireplace in the guest room when Red last stayed over in the guest quarters.

"Yes...it is in one of the rooms."

"Go get it. We need to get that compass out." Regina ordered her as she took a closer look at the compass stuck in the wood.

"What do you need me to do?" Emma asked wanting to get home with the rest of them.

"Get a jar from the pantry." Regina told her in a softer tone than the one she had used for Snow.

"The pantry...and that would be?" Emma asked unaware how she would find it in a place this big.

"By the kitchen." Regina told her castle getting to her now. Emma sighed and left in search of the pantry. _'That was uncalled for. It is this place. I can't snap at her like that.'_

Emma pouted as she walked down the east wing landing. _'Did I say something wrong?' _She was lost in thought when she bumped into Snow on the landing who was holding a large weapon in her hands.

"Found the axe." She smiled proudly at Emma.

"Where is the kitchen?"

"Go downstairs then turn...left. It is past the dining hall." Snow ran back to the nursery. She showed Regina what she had obcurred.

"I found the axe."

"Good, can you use it?" Regina asked eyeing the wardrobe. They would need to be careful.

"I don't know..."

"We are about to find out. Chop about 2 inches around it." She showed Snow with her fingers where she should aim.

Emma meanwhile missed all of it as she wandered around the downstairs of the castle grounds. She spun in a circle, she was definitely lost. "Pantry?...this isn't a dining room...it can't be far." She found a jar of potpourri in one room and emptied the contents onto the floor and went back in search of the nursery.

"You did it!" Regina said proudly as Snow managed to safely remove the compass from the wood. Snow bounced happily on the spot and Regina put the compass in a velvet purse. Snow bound towards her and pulled her into a hug. She was feeling positively giddy that they were one step closer to going home. Regina separated from the embrace.

"Where is Emma?" At the mention of her name Emma burst into the room panting holding a dirty jar in her hands.

"I found it. This place is huge." She leaned over with her hands on her knees. Regina took this opportunity to stare down her billowy blouse. _'Focus Regina.'_

_'She is totally staring down her shirt.' _Snow shook her head at the realisation and took the jar off of Emma."Thank you." She all but elbowed Regina. "Burn it."

She clenched her jaw and held her hand over the wood. It slowly began to simmer and after 15 minutes all that was left was a small hill of ashes. Snow scooped some into the jar until it was almost full. She closed it and put it in the velvet bag with the compass.

"If we are staying here, I have to bring in the horses and feed them for our journey." Regina informed them needing some air and to be out of the castle walls.

"I'll see if there is anything to have for dinner." Snow told them as her stomach grumbled. They all went downstairs. Emma offered to help Regina take in the two horses to the stables.

"I never knew you could ride." Emma said as they led the horses. "I trained for years." Regina stated with a smile. Emma smiled back. "Do you think when we get home that you could give me lessons?" She asked with a hopeful smile. The mayor nodded. "Sounds like a date."

"Oh no. For our first date I am taking you somewhere special." Emma told her. "And why do you get to decide where we go Miss Swan?"

"Because I...because I said so Madame Mayor." She stuck out her tongue and Regina chuckled.

They got to the stables and fed the horses some hay. "Um, Emma..." Regina started. "I want to apologise for how I acted up there. I am sorry if I was snippy. Just that place."

The blonde gave her a lopsided smile. "It is alright." She watched the woman shiver as the night air started to make her colder by the minute. "Is that one of Snow White's dresses?" Emma asked looking her up and down.

"No this was one of mine...an old one. I know it is a bit..."

"Don't. You look amazing." Emma walked closer to her. The mayor looked down at herself feeling doubtful.

"Really?"

"How can you even question that? It looks so good and it shows off your amazing cleavage." Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's waist and kissed her lips softly.

"Well apparently if you are gay you can't resist." Regina teased remembering something Katherine had once told her.

"You know I did hear that somewhere." Emma smirked and Regina shook her head lightly remembering the spyware. Emma stared at her hungerly.

"You look good enough to eat."

"Oh do I?"

"Yes." Emma pushed her back into a post and kissed her passionately. The queen kissed her back, her hands on the sheriff's ass. Emma let out a soft moan. Regina pushed her off. "We can't...not in a room with..." She gestured to the horses.

Emma took her hand and closed the fence on the horses and all but dragged her to an abandoned stable filled with hay. They kissed passionately. Emma lifted Regina onto a bail of hay and lifted the skirt part of her dress. She moved under it and pulled off the mayor's underwear. She tucked it into her pocket and dipped a finger past Regina's wet lips.

She threw her head back at the feeling and bit back a moan as Emma moved her finger up and down. She couldn't see her but what she was feeling felt good in a teasing way. "E-emma...please." She groaned.

Emma smirked and spread the lips with her fingers and moved her flat tongue over the space. Regina groaned loudly and gripped the hay as Emma moved her tongue around her clit. She felt her thighs begin to tremble at the feeling of getting close.

Emma could feel her getting closer. She worked harder. Regina fell back as an orgasm coursed through her body she cried out Emma's name. When she was done Emma kissed the queen. "We better head back inside."

"Nuh huh, I have to get payback."

"You can tonight." Emma smirked at helped her down. She held Regina up as she walked with shaky legs back towards the castle.

Snow greeted them at the grande foyer. "Why is there hay in your hair?" She walked over and picked a piece out of Regina's hair. They both blushed and she muttered. "I fell."

She ushered them to the kitchen. "I found some canned stuff that may be okay." She told them as she made some more soup for them to have for dinner. They ate and as it was late. Snow said goodnight and they went upstairs.

"Emma you can stay with me, and Regina can have the guest bedroom."

"Actually Mary...Mom...I was thinking Regina and I could..."

"You have been dating for barely a week. You shouldn't even be at that stage in your relationship." She pointed out and they both looked down smirking.

_'But she has to get payback.'_

"It is okay...see you tomorrow morning. Night Emma." She leaned in and gave Emma a kiss on her cheek and sauntered over to the guest room. Emma waved sadly at her.

Snow fell asleep rather easily having gone almost 2 days without any. Emma quietly snuck out from the master bedroom and made her way down to the guest quarters. She snuck into the bedroom but found no one inside. Regina's dress was hanging over a wooden chair in the corner of the room.

She stepped closer to it. _'Where would she go without her dress.' _She noticed a door by the chair and opened it.

She found a large en-suite bathroom with Regina sitting in a large marble tub.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking a bath...want to join?"

**To be continued.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37.**

"Taking a bath...want to join?" She raised her eyebrow and with her lips curling upwards.

Emma looked at the smirk on the Mayor's face as she lathered up her leg on the side of the tub. She looked at the leg and trailed her eyes up to the water just over Regina's pert breasts. She licked her lips and began undressing to join her. She striped down to her panties.

"Shall I take that as a yes?" Regina chuckled as Emma blushed. "Uh huh." She moved closer to the bath and locked eyes with Regina's as she hooked her thumbs into her panties sliding out of them.

_'She is so beautiful.'_

Regina sat up straight in the large tub resting her forearms on the sides staring at the naked Emma Swan in front of her. Emma slipped into the bath sitting opposite Regina. She sighed as the hot water hit her skin leaning back.

Regina licked her lips watching her lean her head back. The lovebites she had left on Emma back in the basement were fading to a light yellow color. Emma ran her fingers through her hair frowning at it being a slight bit greasy.

"I actually really need to wash my hair. Did you wash yours?" She asked noticing it was wet and tucked behind her ears. "I found some towels and shampoos. I can do it for you. Grab me that jug and turn around." Emma did as she was told and sat in between Regina's legs.

She ran her hands over Regina's soft smooth legs. "Okay how are they so smooth?" Regina smirked and whispered in her ear in a low breathy voice. "Magic." She laughed softly into her shoulder. "Here look..." Regina reached over and placed her hand on Emma's right leg. There was a purple glow and Emma felt her leg, her stubble was gone. "You can't just do one leg!" Regina giggled. "Can't I?" She moved her hand over the other leg and whispered "Voila."

The mayor filled the jug with water and carefully poured it over Emma's hair. She ran her fingers through it as it got wet.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I love your hair?" She asked as she wet it again.

Emma closed her eyes to avoid water going in. "Not really." She answered honestly.

Regina tutted at herself. "Well I do." She then took a dollop of shampoo in her hands and began to massage it into Emma's scalp.

_'Why does this feel so good.'_

Emma let out a light moan. _'Did she just moan?' _Regina finished her hair and wrapped her arms around Emma's neck. "All done." She bit Emma's earlobe and giggled into her ear. The blonde bit her lip.

"You are a tease Madame Mayor." Emma informed her as she twisted her body to look at her. She kissed her lips and smiled. "Tease? Really?" She moved a finger teasingly down Emma's side.

_'She is so evil.' _"Yes!" Regina moved her hands from Emma's sides and up to her boobs cupping them. She squeezed them lightly making Emma groan. She began playing with her nipples making Emma roll her head back onto Regina's shoulder.

She moaned louder and Regina trailed her hands down Emma's waist and cupped her crotch. The position they were in was becoming awkward and making Emma frustrated.

"We are gonna need to move." She told the woman behind her.

Regina whispered into her ear. "Bend over baby." Emma knelt down and clutched the sides of the bathtub. The mayor moved her nails down Emma's back making the blonde gasp. She left red marks down the blonde's back. It stung lightly.

Regina moved closer, Emma could only hear light splashes from behind her. She felt a finger push past her lips and into her. She gasped loudly and closed her eyes as Regina worked her magic inside her.

The queen curled her finger inside Emma feeling her get wet beneath her fingers. Emma groaned as intense pleasure washed over her. She moved her fingers down to tease her own clit lightly as Regina kept hitting her g-spot while whispering into her ear in a low breathy voice.

"Do you like that Miss Swan?" She purred.

Emma couldn't help but answer loudly as she white knuckled the side of the tub. "YES!"

"Do you want more?" Regina asked as she bite down on her earlobe again. Emma gasped loudly and hissed "Yes!"

She added another finger while holding Emma's hip as she pushed deep into her. Emma moaned loudly as she gripped the tub harder. She was getting closer feeling pleasure wash over her.

"You close baby?" Regina asked as she worked slower. "Yes!"

Emma threw her head back as she moaned Regina's name loudly as she felt an orgasm rock her body. Regina kept moving making another one hit and making Emma call out even louder as yet another hit her and when she was done she all but collapsed back into the water panting loudly.

"Good?" Regina smirked knowing the answer to her own question. She sucked her finger dry and stared at Emma.

Emma nodded and splashed herself in the face with some water. "You are a-amazing."

Regina smirked and leaned back. "Are you getting cold? I am getting cold." Regina stood up and stepped out of the tub wrapping herself in a towel. "Coming Miss Swan?"

"I just did." Emma smirked and watched her resting her head on her forearm. "Well you can sit in the tub but I am going to go to bed."

"Wait up." Emma managed to get out of the tub and looked around for a towel. Regina wrapped her in one and kissed her lips. She changed back into her dress and lay in bed. Emma put back on her pants and snuggled close to her. "You don't mind if I sleep topless?" Regina smiled softly. "Why are you asking that? Of course not." The blonde rested her head on the Regina and sighed contently.

"You know what is funny..." Emma whispered as she traced a pattern on Regina's forearm.

"What?"

"We have had sex a couple of times now but never in a bed." The mayor chuckled to herself. "Well, we aren't exactly a normal couple."

"Do you think Henry is okay?" Regina asked voicing her concerns over her son. "No doubt David took him in and is looking after him." Emma tried to reassure her. Regina sighed. "I miss him." Emma hugged her body. "Me too...but we will be back home soon."

"Now that he knows the truth he might not want the 'evil queen'." She whispered wiping away a tear before it could fall. Emma looked up at her. "No, don't do that. He was fine when we left. And I can prove to him that you are good."

"And what if I am not?"

"What do you mean?"

"You saw what my mother did. She stabbed me for going against her; her only child. I share DNA with her. What if I am just like her?"

"There is no way."

"How do you know that."

"Because I know you."

Emma got up and kissed Regina on the lips softly. "You are good." Regina broke into a watery smile. Emma smiled back and wiped tears off her eyes with the pad of her thumb. "You should sleep. We have a long walk apparently tomorrow."

She yawned and closed her eyes. Emma watched as she fell asleep rather easily. It had been a long few days and she hadn't slept much. She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep soon after.

She was woken up late the next morning hearing her mother scream at seeing her topless sprawled over Regina.

"Sorry! Sorry..." Snow closed the heavy door behind her. It banged loudly waking Regina up too. "I'm up." She jumped and looked at Emma stretching beside her. "Good morning your majesty." She smirked as Regina rubbed her eyes. "Morning princess." She bit back making Emma frown. "Ugh, princess..."

"What was the loud bang?" She asked feeling more awake. "Mary Margaret just walked in on me sleeping on you half naked."

"We better get going if we want to make it to the lake." She kissed Emma's cheek and got ready. Emma changed and headed out to the landing.

"Mary Margaret?!" She got no answer. She yelled louder. "MOM!" Snow came out to the grand staircase. "You okay Emma?"

Emma ran down to join her. "I didn't feel like getting lost in here again." Snow rolled her eyes. Regina came down the stairs in a different dress. This one was pale blue with a corset like bodice and the skirt flowed down to her ankles. She walked down one staircase holding the rail.

_'Now that is a grande entrance.' _Emma was transfixed at the beauty that was coming towards her. Snow elbowed her in the side. "Stop drooling."

"I was not drooling." Emma blushed, Snow smiled. "I went out and got some berries for breakfast."

They all followed her to the dining hall. Emma ate hers and grumbled. "Do they not have cereal in this world."

"No."

"Yesterday we had canned food that was 30 decades old and today we have berries."

"It was frozen for 28 years. So it was barely 6 months old canned stuff and you ate it." Snow jibbed throwing a berry at her.

Emma threw one back. Snow huffed "And maybe you wouldn't be so hungry if you two weren't...cavorting last night."

"We just slept in the same bed..." Emma said looking down as she ate a berry. Snow frowned and made a face. "Empty castles make echos." She stared pointedly at Emma who was bright red. Regina was covering her face in her hands.

_'She definitely heard us last night.'_

_'This is so embarrassing. Was I that loud?'_

_'Could have lived without hearing my daughter orgasm from my step mother...I think I am gonna vomit.'_

"I, uh...have no idea what you are talking about." Emma lied and ate another berry.

"Really? Because last night I could have sworn I heard you repeat _her _name louder and louder for more than a few minutes." Snow cringed at the memory.

"She can get quite loud." Regina pointed out loving teasing the two women. Emma threw a berry at Regina. "Oh my god I do not!"

"And on that...I am going to go get some stuff for our trek." Snow left shuffling past them.

"Was I really that loud?"

"I am seriously considering sound proofing my bedroom so Henry isn't scarred for life when we get back home."

"Oh god." Emma covered her face in her hands.

Snow came back down with a bag and a blanket rolled up. "I have the compass, the dust and some soaps and stuff."

"I just need to pee before we go...what I don't want to have to go in the woods." She ran off and Regina cleared her throat. An awkward silence filled the room.

"So..." Snow started not knowing what to say.

"We should get the horses ready with actual saddles and riding gear today." Regina told her. Snow nodded in agreement. When Emma returned they took off. Regina rode in front with Emma clutching her. Snow held up the rear as they sped off towards Lake Nostos.

They only stopped when it started to get dark. Snow set up camp in a clearing. They all wanted to sleep to get back on track as soon as they could. Emma kept the first watch in case anyone was following them.

**To be continued.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38.**

"Emma." Regina whispered into the sleeping princesses' ear. Emma grumbled. Snow smirked and began to take down the tents. Regina leaned over her and placed a soft delicate kiss on her lips. Emma opened one eye and saw a blurry Regina staring down at her. "Come on get up."

"Five more minutes." She mumbled and turned over. Regina rolled her eyes. "You and Henry are very alike. The sooner you get up, the sooner we get home." She tickled Emma's side making the blonde jump up from her spot and sit up. She sat up crossing her arms pouting. "You are mean."

Regina gave her an innocent look. "Oh are you up. Good. We have to get going." Emma rubbed her eyes. "I can't wait to be at home in my bed." She sighed feeling a dull ache in her back from lying on the ground. Regina knelt down behind her and whispered in her ear. "Who says you will be in your bed?"

Emma felt her breath catch in her throat. She looked over her shoulder as Regina placed her hand on it to help herself get up.

_'Mmm, me and Regina, in her bed, maybe using her toys.' _She licked her lips at the thought. She watched as Regina helped her mother, she was bending down. Emma squirmed in her spot as she watched the mayor's ass move as she bent over.

She was so focused on Regina that she wasn't even paying attention to her mother who had moved closer to her. Snow slapped her in the shoulder. "You are practically drooling."

_'I was not! She is just so...so...I am a very lucky girl. I can't wait to get her home.'_

_'Is she checking out my ass?'_

_'Your daughter is turned on right now...ughh. I mean I get what she is looking at...but no, that is disturbing. I can't wait to be home to be with David. Not just to be alone with him but more to give them some alone time.'_

Regina stood up and wiped the dirt off her hands. "Have you feed the horses?" She asked. Snow nodded. "Yes, done this morning while some of us were awake." She looked pointedly at the two of them. Regina ignored it and petted the horse she rode on lightly. "Shall we?"

Snow used a tree stump to climb onto her horse and got on gracefully. Emma was half falling off the horse as she waited for Regina to climb up in front.

They sped through the forest surrounding Lake Nostos. Emma clung onto Regina for dear life. Snow tried her hardest to keep up with them.

"SLOW DOWN!" She hollered to them. Regina pulled on the reins and her grey horse slowed down. "What the hell?" Snow asked her.

"I want to go home. I haven't seen my soon properly in days."

"Okay well slow down. We will be there soon." She huffed. Emma sighed in relief as they started going at a slower pace. "Regina, you rode horses a lot, right?" She whispered into the mayor's ear. "Yes?"

Emma blushed as she asked. "The vibrations of the horse on my...uh...is it normal to feel a bit turned on." She smirked back at her. "No...you are going to hell." Emma hit Regina in the side but went back to grabbing her waist fearing she would fall off.

"It is normal." Regina whispered back to her. Emma sighed into her shoulder making Regina chuckle to herself. "It is not funny."

"Oh trust me it is."

"What's funny?" Snow asked finally catching up with their pace. Regina bit back a laugh and turned back. "Emma, why don't you tell her." Emma blushed.

Snow rolled her eyes. "You know what, I don't even want to know."

They laughed and she shook her head smiling. The lake basin was just up ahead of them. They hopped off the horses and let them go in the woods and went on foot towards the water.

Regina stopped them, using her arm as a block when she noticed a tall man was standing there. "Wait." She whispered to them and tilted her head in the direction of the man.

"Where are they?" He asked impatiently. Regina, Emma and Snow backed up slowly retreating back into the woods.

_'He looks familiar...oh no...it can't be.'_

"Patience pirate. A hunter claimed her saw newcomers riding by here." Cora told him pushing him out of the way. Everyone suddenly became more tense. They were so close to the end.

_'Why does it have to be her.'_

Emma backed onto a tree root and stumbled, tripping to the floor. Her body made a thud on the ground. It took a second for Cora to zone in on where the noise had come from.

She pulled Emma's body closer to her. "Ahhh the little dyke. Where is your mother?" Cora looked behind Emma who was getting to her feet. Hook held her close to him. "Ahh-ahh, no squirming blondie." He teased as he held her down.

"Snow? Come out, come out wherever you are!" Cora cooed. "MOM! STAY BACK!" Emma screamed not wanting Cora to harm her or hurt Regina again.

Regina was about to run forward to attack her for using Emma but Snow held her back. "Look, Cora thinks you are dead. You have the element of surprise. I will go forward and when she is at her most vulenrable, attack." Regina nodded in agreement and watched as Snow stepped forward.

"Over here!" She stared the witch down as she approached. Cora smirked at getting her way. Snow looked furious. "Get your hands off my daughter."

"Your daughter? Your daughter is a dirty dyke, why do you care what happens to her." She laughed a humorless laugh.

"Because I love her...no matter what. That is what good parents do." Snow spat back making Cora stop. Her nostrils flared and a deathly glare shone in her eyes. She approached Hook and locked eyes with Snow.

"Love is weakness." She pushed her hand passed Emma's chest.

"Noooooo!" Regina screamed watching history repeat itself. She watched as her mother pulled her hand back. But Cora failed. She tried again and again but Emma's heart was still firmly in place. Emma looked down at her feeling a voce grip on her heart. "No, Love is strenght."

Cora was pushed back by a force of magic. Regina ran to the lakeside, to Emma's side. She punched Hook in the face and he went down. He lay motionless to the side. Regina cupped Emma's face with tears running down her face. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I am alright." Emma smiled at her reassuringly. Cora got to her feet and saw her daughter hugging Emma."You are alive?"

"Yes mother." She stood in front of Emma protectively. Cora stared at her in disbelief. "No...but I..."

"You stabbed me...Good parenting there."

"Says the woman who tried to kill her step daughter for years." Regina blushed darkly looking down with her jaw locked.

"She is not that same woman." Emma defended her. Cora stared at her ungrateful daughter and the people she chose to associate with.

"No, I raised a Queen. I gave you everything you could ever dream of and you just threw it all away." She said hurt that all her hand work, her sacrifices had been for nothing.

"I never wanted it! I never wanted to be Queen and I am not scared of you mother." Regina answered staring at Cora.

"I beg your pardon." Cora asked looking at Regina.

"I am not scared of you." She repeated more steadily this time.

"We will see about that." She took a sword out of it's sheath and pointed it at her daughter. Snow pulled Emma's gun from her bag and pointed it at Cora's chest.

"Look who brought a gun to your knife fight. Stay away from her."

"Foolish Snow. I don't keep my heart in my chest."

"No, you keep your's locked away. You live a life without love Cora and I feel sorry for you."

Cora moved away from Regina and put the sword on Snow. She swung her arm back. Snow aimed a shot at her head just as Regina magicked the sword from her hand.

A loud bang erupted from the gun as a shot fired. It went through Cora's skull. She fell to her knees and keeled over. She was dead in a matter of seconds.

"Oh god." Snow dropped the gun and ran over to Cora as Emma held a numb Regina.

_'I killed her...I can't, I killed someone...'_

_'Is she dead?!'_

_'Why aren't I sad...I was before.'_

Snow turned to Regina. "I am so sorry."

"Don't be. She attacked you." Regina said in a calm voice. She knelt down beside her dead mother and closed her eyelids. "Goodbye mother." She placed a soft kiss to her mother's hand.

"We need to head home before he wakes up." She gestured to the unconscious pirate. Emma held her bicep. "Your mother just died."

"She was dead a long time ago." Regina let out a shaky breath and got to her feet. Snow was crying over what she had done. Regina gripped her shoulders. "She killed me; well almost, she tried to kill Emma and then tried to kill you. She deserved it. Do not let this get to you."

Snow nodded mutely. Emma hugged her mother close to her and pulled Regina in for a group hug.

"We need to go home now."

Regina held out her hands. The water rose from beneath the dry sand beds. They waited for it to fill and Emma opened the jar and threw the ashes in.

The water started to swirl, getting faster and faster. The three of them took hold of the compass. "Storybrooke here we come." They jumped forward into the whirlpool.

**To be continued.**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39.**

They made it through the portal to the well in in a forest around Storybrooke. Emma was the first to crawl out. She helped her mother and Regina out of the well.

"We made it!" She cheered happily. An oceanic flight plane flew overhead and they all burst into a smile. "We are back!" Snow pulled them into a group hug. When they separated from their embrace she suddenly went solemn remembering what had happened mere minutes ago. The guilt crept over her and replaced the excitement she felt.

"I killed a person..." She whispered. Emma frowned knowing her mother would have a hard time with what she had done but also feeling relief that the evil woman was gone. Regina stood in front of Snow and cupped her face in her hands so she would have to look at her.

"She was pure evil. She was going to kill you. You did the right thing. Right Emma?" She turned to Emma for support who nodded. "Yes." Snow let out a cry and Regina pulled her close so she could cry on her shoulder. "We are home now."

Emma watched them and kissed her mom on the cheek. "Let's go see our boys." Snow gave her a weak smile and nodded, missing her husband. Emma stood in the middle and took her mother and girlfriend's hand as they made their way out of the forest.

They walked through down town Storybrooke, feeling cold as evening air hit them in their fairytale outfits. A loud scream made them stop in their tracks. "Snoooooow!" Ruby bound out of the diner and threw her arms around Snow lifting her off her feet. "You are home!"

She let go with a large smile on her face as Charming walked out of the diner. He ran towards his wife and picked her up kissing her. Emma and Regina held hands as they watched them.

Henry heard the commotion and ran from his booth to see his adoptive mother and his biological mother standing outside the diner. He sprinted out to them. "MOMS!" He crashed into both of them making them both laugh at his excitement and hold him close to them.

Regina bent down to kiss his forehead. "I missed you so much." She kissed his cheek and he blushed. "Mom." She didn't stop. Emma smiled at the two of them. He looked at their outfits.

"What are you wearing?" Emma bit back a laugh. "Princess gear, kid." He looked her up and down.

"You are in Prince clothes." He pointed out.

"Like I was gonna wear a dress like that." He laughed and he hugged her side. "I missed you."

She toussled his hair. "I missed you too kid."

Charming finally stopped kissing his wife and turned to Emma. "Are you wearing my clothes?" She was about to answer when he crushed her in a hug. Regina and Snow watched as father and daughter hugged.

"Okay, welcome home dinner on the house at Grannies tonight!" Ruby announced to them as she hugged Snow again.

Regina stepped back understanding that that did not include her. Emma gripped her hand pulling her back to her. "But first we need to go shower and change clothes." Emma told them and Snow and Regina agreed.

They all said their goodbyes. Emma took Henry's hand and whispered into Regina's ear. "May I walk you to your door?" The mayor smirked and took her other hand.

As they made their way to Mifflin street Henry bounced happily with them. "Tell me what happened, where there dragons?" Emma laughed "No, no dragons...there were ogres." He looked at her shocked. "Ogres?" Emma smiled "Yes and your mom and grandmother kicked his ass."

"Language." Regina corrected and Emma added. "Butt. Kicked his butt." He smiled at how cool his family was. "That is so cool, did you meet a fairy godmother? Is that where you got your outfits?"

"No, these were in Snow's castle." Regina told him matter of factly. "You look great mom." He told her and she blushed. They made it to number 108 and she used the hide a key to open the door. "Charming fixed the damage the mob did to it." Henry pointed out. Regina's face fell as she remembered that while she had come home to Henry she had also come home to a town that hated her and wanted her dead.

"I will be back at 8pm to pick you two up." Emma informed them breaking her from her thoughts. She kissed Regina on the cheek. "Uhm, maybe I should sit this out."

"What? Why?"

"I cursed this town, everyone has a right to hate me and I am sure no one is actually celebrating me being back." She confessed and Emma looked her in the eyes. "I want you there. Please. Let them see the Regina I see." She kissed her lips softly and whispered. "Only you know a clothed version." Regina hit her in the arm as she laughed.

"Go home and change." She teased. Emma stuck out her tongue and waved at Henry who was in the dining room. "See you tonight kid!" She gave Regina a soft kiss on her lips. "Later, Madame Mayor."

She walked off and Regina sighed happily and hugged her son again. "How have you been?" He smiled. "I am good, grandpa was taking care of me and he thought me to swordfight."

"Is that so." She smiled at how happy he was that she was home.

"Yes and we were mining for fairydust to get you home. How did you get home?" He asked curiously.

"We used magic. Good magic." She replied. He hugged her again. "Mom. I don't mean to be rude but you should really shower." She rolled her eyes and they both started to get ready.

Emma arrived at exactly 8pm. She had her hair in light curls and had on her signature red leather jacket. Regina smiled at the her, missing seeing her like this. She was wearing a black dress with a white and black blazer over it. Emma smiled at her. "You look gorgeous." She marvelled. She looked behind Regina to her son who was in a shirt and slacks.

"You look very handsome." She remarked. He smiled at her. "Thanks mom."

"We better get going, wouldn't want to be late." She took Regina's arm in hers and led her to her bright yellow bug. "I am not riding in that thing." Regina commanded. Emma poked her side. "You made me ride a horse, you can sit in my car."

They parked outside the diner and made their way in as a family. Half the town were in the diner celebrating. When Emma walked in a loud cheer erupted that was immediatly cut short when Regina walked in.

Leroy pulled a knife off the counter and pointed it in her direction. "What is she doing here?" Emma stood in front of Leroy giving him a deathly glare. "She is with me."

Regina sat in a booth with Emma and their son as they ate. A lot of townsfolk came by to talk to Emma, none spoke to their mayor.

Abigail slide into the booth when Emma was talking to Archie and Henry was talking to Happy.

"Are you gonna slap me?" She asked knowing her friend was gone.

"No. You deserve it...but you were my friend for over 28 years, and to me that means something."

"I am sorry for you know...the curse." Regina looked down hating that she was going to lose one of her closest friends.

Abigail gave her a soft smile. "I forgive you."

"So you still want to be friends?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes, truth be told I preferred people not seeing me as a piece of gold."

They continued chatting. Granny served David a drink and looked over at Regina. "So it seems they are still together." He sighed and gulped down his drink. "It appears so. Snow told me that it is sincere. That she has changed."

"Yeah right, for now." Leroy sneered. Snow walked up beside them. "Give her a chance."

Emma looked around the crowd for a particular person, the one set the wraith after Regina. "Where's Mr. Gold." He sighed. "He tried to leave Storybrooke...to find his son but we can't leave without our fairytale memory being wiped away." He informed her. "You see the girl with Ruby?" Emma looked in the direction and saw a brunette laughing with the waitress. "He was in love with her, they finally found each other but he couldn't remember her...quite sad actually."

Emma watched the girl twirl her hair and laugh at a joke the waitress was telling her. _'She doesn't seem upset about the whole thing.'_

Regina got up to go to the bathroom when David stopped her. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at them, waiting for the confrontation that was bound to come.

"Snow told me you saved her life...I want to say thank you." He held out his hand for her to shake it. She shook his hand and looked at him with a weary look waiting for something bad to happen. "And she also told me how you are towards Emma...and while I don't fully trust you, I won't stand in the way of your relationship."

Emma wrapped her arms around Regina and spoke to David. "Thank you."

Archie brought out cake and they all had a slice before heading home. Emma drove them home and said goodbye at the doorstep.

The next afternoon Emma and Regina waited outside the school for Henry to come out. They shared a soft kiss and held hands. He bound towards them hugging them both. "Hi moms, bye moms..."

"Excuse me young man?" Regina asked. "Grandma suggested I stay with her tonight so you can go on a proper date. Something about a promise Emma made."

They both broke into smiles and he ran over to his teacher. "So is it true you fought an ogre?" Snow shook her head. "See you later girls."

"So where shall we go?"

"Well I was thinking maybe your office?" Emma smirked at her.

"For a date?" She asked knowing what Emma was implying.

"Yes, I heard about a date plan in there once and I can't seem to get it out of my head."

"Let's go." She grabbed Emma's hand.

They went off towards the mayoral office where their first date had been interrupted when a bug fell to the floor. The date lasted well into the next morning. Emma who had never had a serious relationship before fell into one quite easily. Her love for her son and Regina bringing stability to her life.

With happiness in her life Regina stopped seeing herself as the bad guy and soon others saw that too. If Emma could see the good in her than she knew she wasn't evil. That small light of hope in what had been a dark life took shape and form until that darkness became a mere shadow in the corner. The town slowly forgave her and even re-elected her as mayor, a job she had un-opposed until well into retirement.

Charming eventually accepted her and although it took a while Snow got over her guilt with help from her family. Now I could tell you that Regina is married now and that her and her wife Emma are raising their son in her Mayorial mansion, that she finally has the family she never had but always dreamed of owning but instead I shall end in true fairytale fashion by telling you that Emma and Regina lived happily ever after.

**The end.**

**I would like to thank you everyone who read this story and who reviewed it, favorited it and followed it. I hope you liked it.**


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